TEffiLffiRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

IRVINE 


GIFT  OF 

John  &  Mary  Prescott 


THIS    BOOK    BELONGS  I 

Arkansas  City  Library. 
Number-  / 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2007  witli  funding  from 

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littp://www.arcliive.org/details/bypil<eanddyketalOOIientiala 


p.  &  D.      Ned  gives  the  Captain^  his  view  of  the  matter.— Page  15. 


By  Pike  and  Dyke. 


A  TALE  OF  THE 


Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic. 


By  G.  a.  HENTY, 

Author  of  "  True  to  the  Old  Flag"  "  With  Wolfe  in  Canada, 
"With  Clive  in  India"  "  Under  Drake's  Flag."  Etc. 


NEW  YOEK  : 

THE  P   M.  LUPTON  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 


PREFACE. 


My  Dear  Lads: 

In  all  the  pages  of  history  there  is  no  record  of  a 
struggle  so  unequal,  so  obstinately  maintained,  and  so 
long  contested  as  that  by  which  the  men  of  Holland 
and  Zeeland  won  their  right  to  worship  God  in  their  own 
way,  and  also — although  this  was  but  a  secondary  con- 
sideration with  them — shook  off  the  yoke  of  Spain  and 
achieved  their  independence.  The  incidents  of  the 
contest  were  of  a  singularly  dramatic  character.  Upon 
one  side  was  the  greatest  power  of  the  time,  set  in  mo- 
tion by  a  ruthless  bigot,  who  was  determined  either  to 
force  his  religion  upon  the  people  of  the  Netherlands, 
or  to  utterly  exterminate  them.  Upon  the  other  were 
a  scanty  people,  fishermen,  sailors,  and  agriculturalists, 
broken  up  into  communities  with  but  little  bond  of 
sympathy,  and  no  communication,  standing  only  on  the 
defensive,  and  relying  solely  upon  the  justice  of  their 
cause,  their  own  stout  hearts,  their  noble  prince,  and 
their  one  ally,  the  ocean.  Cruelty,  persecution,  and 
massacre  had  converted  this  race  of  peace-loving  workers 
into  heroes  capable  of  the  most  sublime  self-sacrifices. 
Women  and  children  were  imbued  with  a  spirit  equal 
to  that  of  the  men,  fought  as  stoutly  on  the  walls,  and 
died  as  uncomplainingly  from  famine  in  the  beleaguered 
towns.  The  struggle  was  such  a  long  one  tha't  I  have 
found  it  impossible  to  recount  all  the  leading  events  in 
— 5 


6  PBBFACE. 

the  space  of  a  single  volume  ;  and,  moreover,  before  the 
close,  my  hero,  who  began  as  a  lad,  would  have  grown 
into  middle  age,  and  it  is  an  established  canon  in  books 
for  boys  that  the  hero  must  himself  be  young.  I  have 
therefore  terminated  the  story  at  the  murder  of  William 
of  Orange,  and  hope  in  another  volume  to  continue  the 
history,  and  to  recount  the  progress  of  the  war,  when 
England,  after  years  of  hesitation,  threw  herself  into 
the  fray,  and  joined  Holland  in  its  struggle  against  the 
power  that  overshadowed  all  Europe,  alike  by  its  ambi- 
tion and  its  bigotry.  There  has  been  no  need  to  consult 
many  authorities.  Motley  in  his  great  work  has  ex- 
hausted the  subject,  and  for  all  the  historical  facts  I 
have  relied  solely  upon  him. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

G.  A.  Henty. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PA8K 

The  "Good  Venture." 7 

CHAPTER  II. 
Terrible  News 27 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  Fight  with  the  Spaniards 60 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Wounded 71 

CHAPTER  V. 
Ned's  Resolve 01 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Prince  of  Orange 112 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Dangerous  Mission ...•• 131 

CHAPTER  VIIL 
In  the  Hands  of  the  Blood-Council ,.,,.  147 

CHAPTER  IX. 
In  Hiding , 167 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  Dangerous  Encounter 186 

5 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XI.  PAOK 

Saving  a  Victim 204 

CHAPTER  XIL 
Back  with  the  Prince 226 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Siege  of  Haarlem 245 

CHAPTER   xrV. 
The  Fall  of  Haarlem 264 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Ned  Receives  Promotion » 283 

CHAPTER  XVL 
Friends  in  Trouble 804 

CHAPTER  XVIL 
A  Rescue 820 

CHAPTER  XVm. 
The  Siege  of  Leyden 834 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
In  the  Queen's  Service 362 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  "Spanish  Fury" 371 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Siege  of  Antwerp 391 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  "GOOD  VENTUKE." 

RoTHERHiTHE  in  the  year  of  1572  differed  very 
wide!}'  from  the  Rotherhithe  of  to-day.  It  was  then  a 
scattered  village,  inhabited  chiefly  by  a  seafaring  popu- 
lation. It  was  here  that  the  captains  of  many  of  the 
ships  that  sailed  from  the  port  of  London  had  their 
abode.  Snug  cottages  with  trim  gardens  lay  thickly 
along  the  banks  of  the  river,  where  their  owners  could 
sit  and  watch  the  vessels  passing  up  and  down  or 
moored  in  the  stream,  and  discourse  with  each  other 
over  the  hedges  as  to  the  way  in  which  they  were 
handled,  the  smartness  of  their  equipage,  whence  they 
had  come,  or  where  they  were  going.  For  the  trade  of 
London  was  comparatively  small  in  those  days,  and  the 
skippers  as  they  chatted  together  could  form  a  shrewd 
guess  from  the  size  and  appearance  of  each  ship  as  to 
the  country  with  which  she  traded,  or  whether  she  was 
a  coaster  working  the  eastern  or  southern  ports. 

Most  of  the  vessels,  indeed,  would  be  recognized  and 
the  captains  known,  and  hats  would  be  waved  and  wel- 
comes or  adieus  shouted  as  the  vessels  passed.  There 
was  something  that  savored  of  Holland  in  the  appear- 
ance of  Rotherhithe  j  for  it  was  with  the  Low  Countries 

7 


8  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

that  the  chief  trade  of  England  was  carried  on  ;  and  the 
marines  who  spent  their  lives  in  journeying  to  and  fro 
between  London  and  the  ports  of  Zeeland,  Friesland, 
and  Flanders,  who  for  the  most  part  picked  up  the 
language  of  the  country,  and  sometimes  even  brought 
home  wives  from  across  the  sea,  naturally  learned 
something  from  their  neighbors.  Nowhere,  perhaps, 
in  and  about  London  were  the  houses  so  clean  and 
bright,  and  the  gardens  so  trimly  and  neatly  kept,  as  in 
the  village  of  Rotherhithe,  and  in  all  Rotherhithe  not 
one  was  brighter  and  more  comfortable  than  the  abode 
of  Captain  William  Martin. 

It  was  low  and  solid  in  appearance ;  the  wooden 
framework  was  unusually  massive,  and  there  was  much 
quaint  carving  on  the  beams.  The  furniture  was  heavy 
and  solid,  and  polished  with  beeswax  until  it  shone. 
The  fireplaces  were  lined  with  Dutch  tiles ;  the  flooring 
was  of  oak,  polished  as  brightly  as  the  furniture.  The 
appointments  from  roof  to  floor  were  Dutch ;  and  no 
wonder  that  this  was  so,  for  every  inch  of  wood  in  its 
framework  and  beams,  floor  and  furniture,  had  been 
brought  across  from  Friesland  by  William  Martin  in 
his  ship,  the  Good  Venture.  It  had  been  the  dowry  he 
received  with  his  pretty  young  wife,  Sophie  Plomaert. 

Sophie  was  the  daughter  of  a  well-to-do  worker  in 
wood  near  Amsterdam.  She  was  his  only  daughter, 
and  although  he  had  nothing  to  say  against  the  English 
sailor  who  had  won  her  heart,  and  who  was  chief  owner 
of  the  ship  he  commanded,  he  grieved  much  that  she 
should  leave  her  native  land ;  and  he  and  her  three 
brothers  determined  that  she  should  always  bear  her 
former  home  in  her  recollection.  They  tlierefore  pre- 
pared as  her  wedding-gift  a  facsimile  of  the  home  in 
whioh  (s^e  had  been  born  and  bred.     The  furniture  and 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  9 

framework  were  similar  in  every  particular,  and  it 
needed  only  the  insertion  of  the  brickwork  and  plaster 
when  it  arrived.  Two  of  her  brothers  made  the  voyage 
in  the  Good  Venture,  and  themselves  put  the  frame- 
work, beams  and  flooring  together  and  saw  to  the  com- 
pletion of  the  house  on  the  strip  of  ground  that  William 
Martin  had  purchased  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

Even  a  large  summer-house  that  stood  at  the  end  of 
the  garden  was  a  reproduction  of  that  upon  the  bank 
of  the  canal  at  home ;  and  when  all  was  completed  and 
William  Martin  brought  over  his  bride  she  could  almost 
fancy  that  she  was  still  at  home  near  Amsterdam.  Ever 
since,  she  had  once  a  year  sailed  over  in  her  hus- 
band's ship,  and  spent  a  few  weeks  with  her  kinsfolk. 
When  at  home  from  sea  the  great  summer-house  was  a 
general  rendezvous  of  William  Martin's  friends  in  Roth- 
erhithe,  all  skippers  like  himself,  some  still  on  active 
service,  others,  who  had  retired  on  their  savings  ;  not 
all,  however,  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  houses  on 
the  river  bank ;  and  the  summer-house  was  therefore 
useful  not  only  as  a  place  of  meeting  but  as  a  lookout 
at  passing  ships. 

It  was  a  solidly  built  structure,  inclosed  on  the  land 
side  but  open  toward  the  river,  where,  however,  there 
were  folding  shutters,  so  that  in  cold  weather  it  could 
be  partially  closed  up,  though  still  affording  a  sight  of 
the  stream.  A  great  Dutch  stove  stood  in  one  corner, 
and  in  this  in  winter  a  roaring  fire  was  kept  up.  There 
were  few  men  in  Rotherhithe  so  well  endowed  with  this 
world's  goods  as  Captain  Martin.  His  father  had  been 
a  trader  in  the  city,  but  William's  tastes  lay  toward  the 
sea  rather  than  the  shop,  and  as  he  was  the  youngest  of 
three  brothers  he  had  his  way  in  the  matter.  When  he 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-three  his  father  died,  and 


10  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

with  his  portion  of  the  savings  William  purchased  the 
principal  share  of  the  Good  Venture,  which  ship  he  had 
a  few  months  before  come  to  command. 

When  he  married  he  had  received  not  only  his  house 
but  a  round  sum  of  money  as  Sophie's  portion.  With 
this  he  could,  had  he  liked,  have  purchased  the  other 
shares  of  the  Good  Venture;  but,  being  a  thorough 
sailor,  a  prudent  man,  he  did  not  lik-e  to  put  all  his  eggs 
into  one  basket,  and  accordingly  bought  with  it  a  share 
in  another  ship.  Three  children  had  been  born  to  Wil- 
liam and  Sophie  Martin — a  boy  and  two  girls.  Edward, 
who  was  the  eldest,  was  at  the  time  this  story  begins 
nearly  sixteen.  He  was  an  active,  well-built  young 
fellow,  and  had  for  five  years  sailed  with  his  father  in 
the  Good  Venture.  That  vessel  was  now  lying  in  the 
stream  a  quarter  of  a  mile  higher  up,  having  returned 
from  a  trip  to  Holland  upon  the  previous  day. 

The  first  evening  there  had  been  no  callers,  for  it  was 
an  understood  thing  at  Rotherhithe  that  a  captain  on 
his  return  wanted  the  first  evening  at  home  alone  with 
his  wife  and  family  ;  but  on  the  evening  of  the  second 
day,  when  William  Martin  had  finished  his  work  of 
seeing  to  the  unloading  of  his  ship,  the  visitors  began 
to  drop  in  fast,  and  the  summer-house  was  well-nigh  as 
full  as  it  could  hold.  Mistress  Martin,  who  was  now  a 
comely  matron  of  six-and-thirty,  busied  herself  in  seeing 
that  the  maid  and  her  daughters,  Constance  and  Janet, 
supplied  the  visitors  with  homs  of  home-brewed  beer, 
or  other  strong  waters  brought  from  Holland  for  those 
who  preferred  them. 

"  You  have  been  longer  away  than  usual,  Captain 
Martin,"  one  of  the  visitors  remarked. 

"  Yes,"  the  skipper  replied.  "  Trade  is  but  dull,  and 
though  the  Good  Venture  bears  a  good  repute  for  speed 


Br  PIKE  AND  DT:^A  11 

and  safety,  and  is  seldom  kept  lying  at  the  wharves  for 
a  cargo,  we  were  a  week  before  she  was  chartered.  I 
know  not  what  will  be  the  end  of  it  all.  I  verily  be- 
lieve that  no  people  have  ever  been  so  cruelly  treated 
for  their  conscience's  sake  since  the  world  began ;  for 
you  know  it  is  not  against  the  King  of  Spain  but  against 
the  Inquisition  that  the  opposition  has  been  made.  The 
people  of  the  Low  Countries  know  well  enough  it  would 
be  madness  to  contend  against  the  power  of  the  greatest 
country  in  Europe,  and  tt)  this  day  they  have  borne, 
and  are  bearing,  the  cruelty  to  which  they  are  exposed 
in  quiet  despair,  and  without  a  thought  of  resistance 
to  save  their  lives.  There  may  have  been  tumults  in 
some  of  the  towns,  as  in  Antwerp,  where  the  lowest 
part  of  the  mob  went  into  the  cathedrals  and  churches 
and  destroyed  the  shrines  and  images ;  but  as  to  armed 
resistance  to  the  Spaniards,  there  has  been  none. 

"  The  first  expeditions  that  the  Prince  of  Orange  made 
into  the  countiy  were  composed  of  German  mercenaries, 
with  a  small  body  of  exiles.  They  were  scarce  joined 
by  any  of  the  country-folk.  Though,  as  you  know, 
they  gained  one  little  victory,  they  were  nigh  all  killed 
and  cut  to  pieces.  So  horrible  was  the  slaughter  perpe- 
trated by  the  soldiers  of  the  tyrannical  Spanish  governor 
Alva,  that  when  the  Prince  of  Orange  again  marched 
into  the  country  not  a  man  joined  him,  and  he  had  to 
fall  back  without  accomplishing  anything.  The  people 
seemed  stunned  by  despair.  Has  not  the  Inquisition 
condemned  the  whole  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Nether- 
lands— save  only  a  few  persons  specially  named — to 
death  as  heretics?  and  has  not  Philip  confirmed  the 
decree,  and  ordered  it  to  be  carried  into  instant  execu- 
tion without  regard  to  age  or  sex  ?  Were  three  millions 
of  men,  women,  and  children  ever  before  sentenced  to 


12  BT  PlKB  AND  DYKE. 

death  by  one  stroke  of  the  pen,  only  because  they  refused 
to  change  their  religion  ?  Every  day  there  are  hun- 
dreds put  to  death  by  the  orders  of  Alva's  Blood  Coun- 
cil, as  it  is  called,  without  even  the  mockery  of  a 
trial." 

There  was  a  general  murmur  of  rage  and  horror  from 
the  assembled  party. 

"  Were  I  her  queen's  majesty,"  an  old  captain  said, 
striking  his  fist  on  the  table,  "  I  would  declare  war  with 
Philip  of  Spain  to-morrow,  ahd  would  send  every  man 
who  could  bear  arms  to  the  Netherlands  to  aid  the 
people  to  free  themselves  from  their  tyrants." 

"  Ay,  and  there  is  not  a  Protestant  in  the  land  but 
would  go  willingly.  To  think  of  such  cruelty  makes 
the  blood  run  through  my  veins  as  if  I  were  a  lad  again. 
Why,  in  Mary's  time  there  were  two  or  three  score 
burnt  for  their  religion  here  in  England,  and  we  thought 
that  a  terrible  thing.  But  three  millions  of  people! 
Why,  it  is  as  many. as  we  have  got  in  all  these  islands  ! 
What  think  you  of  this,  mates  ?  " 

"  It  is  past  understanding,"  another  old  sailor  said. 
"  It  is  too  awful  for  us  to  take  in." 

"  It  is  said,"  another  put  in,  "  that  the  King  of  France 
has  leagued  himself  with  Philip  of  Spain,  and  that  the 
two  have  bound  themselves  to  exterminate  the  Protest- 
ants in  all  their  dominions,  and  as  that  includes  Spain, 
France,  Italy,  the  Low  Countries,  and  most  of  Germany, 
it  stands  to  reason  as  we  who  are  Protestants  ought  to 
help  our  friends ;  for  you  may  be  sure,  neighbors,  that 
if  Philip  succeeds  in  the  Low  Countries  he  will  never 
rest  until  he  has  tried  to  bring  England  under  his  rule 
also,  and  to  plant  the  Inquisition  with  its  bonfires  and 
its  racks  and  tortures  here." 

An  angry  murmur  of  assent  ran  round  the  circle. 


j^r  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  "       18 

"  We  would  fight  them,  you  may  be  sure,"  Captain 
Martin  said,  "to  the  last ;  but  Spain  is  a  mighty  power, 
and  all  know  that  there  are  no  soldiers  in  Europe  can 
stand  against  their  pikemen.  If  the  Low  Countries, 
which  number  as  many  souls  as  we,  cannot  make  a  stand 
against  them  with  all  their  advantages  of  rivers,  and 
swamps,  and  dykes,  and  fortified  towns,  what  chance 
should  we  have  who  liave  none  of  these  things  ?  What 
I  say,  comrades,  is  this  :  we  have  got  to  fight  Spain — 
you  know  the  grudge  Philip  beare  us — and  it  is  far 
better  that  we  should  go  over  and  fight  the  Spaniards 
in  the  Low  Countries,  side  by  side  with  the  people 
th  re,  and  with  all  the  advantages  that  their  rivers  and 
dykes  give,  and  with  the  comfort  that  our  wives  and 
children  are  safe  here  at  home,  than  wait  till  Spain  has 
crushed  down  the  Netherlands  and  exterminated  the 
people,  and  is  then  able,  with  France  as  her  ally,  to  turn 
her  whole  strength  against  us.     That's  wliat  I  say." 

"  And  you  say  right.  Captain  Martin.  If  I  were  the 
queen's  majesty  I  would  send  word  to  Philip  to-morrow 
to  call  off  his  black  crew  of  monks  and  inquisitors.  The 
people  of  the  Netherlands  have  no  thought  of  resisting 
the  rule  of  Spain,  and  would  be,  as  they  have  been  be- 
fore, Philip's  obedient  subjects,  if  he  would  but  leave  their 
religion,  alone.  It's  tlie  doings  of  the  Inquisition  that 
have  driven  them  to  despair.  And  when  one  hears  v/hat 
you  are  telling  us,  that  the  king  has  ordered  the  whole 
population  to  be  exterminated — man,  woman,  and  child 
— no  wonder  they  are  preparing  to  fight  to  the  last;  for 
it's  better  to  die  fighting  a  thousand  times,  than  it  is  to 
be  roasted  alive  with  your  wife  and  children !  " 

"  I  suppose  the  queen  and  her, councillors  see  that  if 
she  were  to  meddle  in  this  business  it  might  cost  her  her 
kingdom,   and  us  our  liberty,"   another  captain  said. 


14  iF  PIKE  AND  DYKSL 

"  The  Spaniards  could  put,  they  aay,  seventy  or  eighty 
thousand  trained  soldiers  in  the  field,  while,  except  the 
queen's  own  bodyguard,  there  is  not  a  soldier  ia  Eng- 
land ;  while  their  navy  is  big  enough  to  take  the  fifteen 
or  twenty  ships  the  queen  has,  and  to  break  them  up  to 
burn  their  galley  fires." 

"  That  is  all  true  enough,"  Captain  Martin  agreed  ; 
"  but  our  English  men  have  fought  well  on  the  plains  of 
France  before  now,  and  I  don't  believe  we  should  fight 
worse  to-day.  We  beat  the  French  when  they  were  ten 
to  one  against  us  over  and  over,  and  what  our  fathers 
did  we  can  do.  What  you  say  about  the  navy  is  true 
also.  They  have  a  big  fleet,  and  we  have  no  vessels 
worth  speaking  about,  but  we  are  as  good  sailors  as  the 
Spaniards  any  day,  and  as  good  fighters ;  and  though  I 
am  not  saying  we  could  stop  their  fleet  if  it  came  sailing 
up  the  Thames,  I  believe  when  they  landed  we  should 
show  them  that  we  were  as  good  men  as  they.  They 
might  bring  seventy  thousand  soldiers,  but  there  would 
be  seven  hundred  thousand  Englishmen  to  meet ;  and 
if  we  had  but  sticks  and  stones  to  fight  with,  they  would 
not  find  that  they  would  have  an  easy  victory." 

"  Yes,  that's  what  you  think  and  I  think,  neighbor ; 
but,  you  see,  we  have  not  got  the  responsibility  of  it. 
The  queen  has  to  think  for  us  all.  Though  I  for  one 
would  be  right  glad  if  she  gave  the  word  for  war,  she 
may  well  hesitate  before  she  takes  a  step  that  might 
bring  ruin,  and  worse  than  ruin,  upon  all  her  subjects. 
We  must  own,  too,  that  much  as  we  feel  for  the  people 
of  the  Low  Countries  in  their  distress,  tliey  have  not 
always  acted  wisely.  That  they  should  take  up  arms 
against  these  cruel  tyrants,  even  if  they  had  no  chance 
of  beating  them,  is  what  we  all  agree  would  be  right  and 
natural ;  but  when  the  mob  of  Antwerp  broke  into  the 


^  t  PIK^  AND  J)  TK^.  16 

Cathedral,  and  destroyed  the  altars  and  carvings,  and 
tore  up  the  vestments,  and  threw  down  the  Maries  and 
the  saints,  and  then  did  the  same  in  the  other  churches 
in  the  town  and  in  the  country  round,  they  behaved 
worse  than  children,  and  showed  themselves  as  intol- 
erant and  bigoted  as  the  Spaniards  themselves.  They 
angered  Philip  beyond  hope  of  forgiveness,  and  gave 
him  something  like  an  excuse  for  his  cruelties  toward 
them." 

"  Ay,  ay,  that  was  a  bad  business,"  Captain  Martin 
agreed ;  "  a  very  bad  business,  comrade.  And  although 
these  things  were  done  by  a  mere  handful  of  tlie  scum 
of  the  town,  the  respectable  citizens  raised  no  hand  to 
stop  it,  although  they  can  turn  out  the  town  guard  read- 
ily enough  to  put  a  stop  to  a  quarrel  between  the  mem- 
bers of  two  of  the  guilds.  There  were  plenty  of  men 
who  have  banded  themselves  together  under  the  name 
of  '  the  beggars,'  and  swore  to  fight  for  their  religion,  to 
have  put  these  fellows  down  if  they  had  chosen.  They 
did  not  choose,  and  now  Philip's  vengeance  will  fall  on 
them  all  alike." 

"  Well,  what  think  you  of  this  business,  Ned?  "  one 
of  the  captains  said,  turning  to  the  lad  who  was  standing 
in  a  corner,  remaining,  as  in  duty  bound,  silent  in  the 
presence  of  his  elders  until  addressed. 

"  Were  I  a  Dutchman,  and  living  under  such  a  tyr- 
anny," Ned  said  passionately,  "  I  would  rise  and  fight  to 
the  death  rather  than  see  my  family  martyred.  If  none 
other  would  rise  with  me,  I  would  take  a  sword  and  go 
out  and  slay  the  first  Spaniard  I  met,  and  again  another, 
until  I  was  killed." 

"  Bravo,  Ned !  Well  spoken,  lad  ! "  three  or  four  of 
the  captains  said ;  but  his  father  shook  his  head. 

"  Those  are  the  words  of  hot  youth,  Ned;  and  were 


16  BY  PIKE  AND  BTKS. 

you  living  there  you  would  do  as  others — keep  quiet  till 
the  executioners  came  to  drag  you  away,  seeing  thac  did 
you,  as  you  say  you  would,  use  a  knife  against  a  Span- 
iard, it  would  give  the  butchera  a  pretext  for  the  slaugh- 
tering of  hundreds  of  innocent  people.'' 

The  lad  looked  down  abashed  at  the  reproof,  then  he 
said: 

"  Well,  father,  if  I  could  not  rise  in  arms  or  slay  a 
Spaniard  and  then  be  killed,  I  would  leave  my  home 
and  join  the  sea  beggars  under  La  Marck." 

"  There  is  more  reason  in  that,"  his  father  replied ; 
**  though  La  Marck  is  a  ferocious  noble,  and  his  follow- 
ers make  not  very  close  inquiry  whether  the  ships  they 
attack  are  Spanish  or  those  of  other  people.  Still  it  is 
hard  for  a  man  to  starve  ;  and  when  time  passes  and  they 
can  light  upon  no  Spanish  merchantmen,  one  cannot 
blame  them  too  sorely  if  they  take  what  they  require 
out  of  some  other  passing  ship.  But  there  is  reason  at 
the  bottom  of  what  you  say.  Did  the  men  of  the  sea- 
coast,  seeing  that  their  lives  and  those  of  their  families 
are  now  at  the  mercy  of  the  Spaniards,  take  to  their  ships 
with  those  dear  to  them  and  continually  harass  the  Span- 
iards, they  could  work  them  great  harm,  and  it  would 
need  a  large  fleet  to  overpower  them,  and  that  with  great 
difficulty,  seeing  that  they  know  the  coast  and  all  the 
rivei'S  and  channels,  and  could  take  refuge  in  shallows 
where  the  Spaniards  could  not  follow  them.  At  present 
it  seems  to  me  the  people  are  in  such  depths  of  despair 
that  they  have  not  heart  for  any  such  enterprise.  But 
I  believe  that  some  day  or  other  the  impulse  will  be 
given — some  more  wholesale  butchery  than  usual  will 
goad  them  to  madness,  or  the  words  of  some  patriot  wake 
them  into  action,  and  then  they  will  rise  as  one  man  and 
fight  until  utterly  destroyed,  for  that  they  can  in  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  17 

end  triumph  over  Spain  is  more  than  any  human  being 
can  hope." 

"  Then  they  must  be  speedy  about  it,  friend  Martin," 
another  said.  "  They  say  that  eighty  thousand  have 
been  put  to  death  one  way  or  another  since  Alva  came 
into  his  government.  Another  ten  years  and  there  will 
be  scarce  an  able-bodied  man  remaining  in  the  Low 
Country.  By  the  way,  you  were  talking  of  the  beggars 
of  the  sea.  Their  fleet  is  lying  at  present  at  Dover,  and 
it  is  said  that  the  Spanish  ambassador  is  making  grave 
complaints  to  the  queen  on  the  part  of  his  master  against 
giving  shelter  to  these  men,  whom  he  brands  as  not 
only  enemies  of  Spain,  but  as  pirates  and  robbers  of  the 
sea." 

"  I  was  talking  with  Master  Sheepshanks,"  another 
mariner  put  in,  "  whose  ships  I  sailed  for  thirty  years, 
and  who  is  an  alderman  and  knows  what  is  going  on, 
and  he  told  me  that  from  what  he  hears  it  is  like  enough 
that  the  queen  will  yield  to  the  Spanish  request.  So 
long  as  she  cliooses  to  remain  friends  with  Spain  openly 
whatever  her  thoughts  and  opinions  may  be,  she  can 
scarcely  allow  her  poits  to  be  used  by  the  enemies  of 
Philip.  It  must  go  sorely  against  her  high  spirit ;  but 
till  she  and  her  council  resolve  that  England  shall  brave 
the  whole  strength  of  Spain,  she  cannot  disregard  the 
remonstrances  of  Philip.  It  is  a  bad  business,  neigh- 
bors, a  bad  business  ;  and  the  sooner  it  comes  to  an  end 
the  better.  No  one  doubts  that  we  shall  have  to  fight 
Spain  one  of  these  days,  and  I  say  that  it  were  better 
to  fight  while  our  brethren  of  the  Low  Countries  can 
fight  by  our  side,  than  to  wait  till  Spain,  having  exter- 
minated them,  can  turn  the  whole  power  against  us." 

There  was  a  general  chorus  of  assent,  and  then  the 
subject  changed  to  the  rate  of  freight  to  the  northern 


18  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ports.  The  grievous  need  for  the  better  marking  of 
shallows  and  dangers,  the  rights  of  seamen,  wages,  and 
other  matters,  were  discussed  until  the  assembly  broke 
up.     Ned's  sisters  joined  him  in  the  garden. 

"  I  hear,  Constance,"  the  boy  said  to  the  elder,  "  there 
has  been  no  news  from  our  grandfather  and  uncles  since 
we  have  been  away." 

"  No  word  whatever,  Ned.  Our  mother  does  not  say 
much,  but  I  know  she  is  greatly  troubled  and  anxious 
about  it."  « 

"  That  she  may  well  be,  Constance,  seeing  neither 
quiet  conduct  nor  feebleness  nor  aught  else  avail  to 
protect  any  from  the  rage  of  the  Spaniards.  You  who 
stay  at  home  here  only  hear  general  tales  of  the  cruel- 
ties done  across  the  sea,  but  if  you  heard  the  tales  that 
we  do  at  their  ports  they  would  drive  you  almost  to 
madness.  Not  that  we  hear  much,  for  we  have  to  keep 
on  board  our  ships,  and  may  not  land  or  mingle  with 
the  people ;  but  we  learn  enough  from  the  merchants 
who  come  on  board  to  see  about  the  landing  of  their 
goods  to  make  our  blood  boil.  They  do  right  to  prevent 
our  landing ;  for  so  fired  is  the  sailor's  blood  by  these 
tales  of  massacre,  that  were  they  to  go  ashore  they 
would,  I  am  sure,  be  speedily  embroiled  with  the 
Spaniards. 

"  You  see  how  angered  these  friends  of  our  father  are 
who  are  Englishmen,  and  have  no  Dutch  blood  in  their 
veins,  and  who  feel  only  because  they  are  touched  by 
these  cruelties,  and  because  the  people  of  the  Low 
Country  are  Protestants ;  but  with  us  it  is  different, 
our  mother  is  one  of  these  persecuted  people,  and  we 
belong  to  them  as  much  as  to  England.  We  have 
friends  and  relations  there  who  may,  for  aught  we 
know,  have  already  fallen  victims  to  the  cruelty  of  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  19 

Spaniards.  Had  I  my  will  I  would  join  the  beggars 
of  the  sea,  or  I  would  ship  with  Drake  or  Cavendish 
and  fight  the  Spaniards  in  the  Indian  seas.  They  say 
that  there  Englishmen  are  proving  themselves  better 
men  than  these  haughty  dons." 

"  It  is  very  sad,"  Constance  said  ;  "  but  what  can  be 
done?" 

"Something  must  be  done  soon,"  Ned  replied  gloom- 
ily. "  Things  cannot  go  on  as  they  are.  So  terrible  is 
the  state  of  things,  so  heavy  the  taxation,  that  in  many 
towns  all  trade  is  suspended.  In  Brussels,  I  hear, 
Alva's  own  capital,  the  brewers  have  refused  to  brew, 
the  bakers  to  bake,  the  tapsters  to  draw  liquors.  The 
city  swarms  with  multitudes  of  men  thrown  out  of  em- 
ployment. The  Spanish  soldiers  themselves  have  long 
been  without  pay,  for  Alva  thinks  of  nothing  but  blood- 
shed. Consequently,  they  are  insolent  to  their  officers, 
care  little  for  order,  and  insult  and  rob  the  citizens  in 
the  streets.  Assuredly  something  must  come  of  this 
ere  long ;  and  the  people's  despair  will  become  a  mad 
fury.  If  they  rise,  Constance,  and  my  father  does  not 
say  na.j,  I  will  assuredly  join  them  and  do  my  best. 

"  I  do  not  believe  that  the  queen  will  forbid  her  sub- 
jects to  give  their  aid  to  the  people  of  the  Netherlands  ; 
for  she  allowed  many  to  fight  in  France  for  Cond^  and 
the  Protestants  against  the  Guises,  and  she  will  surely 
do  the  same  now,  since  the  sufferings  of  our  brothers  in 
the  Netherlands  have  touched  the  nation  far  more 
keenly  than  did  those  of  the  Huguenots  in  France.  I 
am  sixteen  now,  and  my  father  says  that  in  another 
year  he  will  rate  me  as  his  second  mate,  and  methinks 
that  there  are  not  many  men  on  board  who  can  pull 
more  strongly  a  rope,  or  work  more  stoutly  at  the  cap- 
stan when  we  heave  our  anchor.     Besides,  as  wc  all 


20  BY  PIKE  AND  DT.WM. 

talk  Dutch  as  well  as  English,  I  should'  be  of  more  use 
than  men  who  know  naught  of  the  language  of  the 
country." 

Constance  shook  her  head.  "  I  do  not  think,  Ned, 
that  our  father  would  give  you  leave,  at  any  rate  not 
until  you  have  grown  up  into  a  man.  He  looks  to 
having  you  with  him,  and  to  your  succeeding  him  some 
day  in  the  command  of  the  Good  Venture,  while  he 
remains  quietly  at  home  with  our  mother." 

Ned  agreed  with  a  sigh.  "  I  fear  that  you  are  right, 
Constance,  and  that  I  shall  have  to  stick  to  my  trade  of 
c.ailoring ;  but  if  the  people  of  the  Netherlands  rise 
against  their  tyrants,  it  would  be  hard  to  be  sailing 
backward  and  forward  doing  a  peaceful  trade  between 
London  and  Holland  while  our  friends  and  relatives  are 
battling  for  their  lives." 

A  fortnight  later,  the  Good  Venture  filled  up  her 
hold  with  a  cargo  for  Brill,  a  port  where  the  united 
Rhine,  Waal  and  Maas  flow  into  the  sea.  On  the  day 
before  she  sailed  a  proclamation  was  issued  by  the 
queen  forbidding  any  of  her  subjects  to  supply  De  la 
Marck  and  his  sailors  with  meat,  bread  or  beer.  The 
passage  down  the  river  was  slow,  for  the  winds  were 
contrary,  and  it  was  ten  days  afterwards,  the  31st  of 
March,  when  they  entered  the  broad  mouth  of  the  river 
and  dropped  anchor  off  the  town  of  Brill.  It  was  late 
in  the  evening  when  they  arrived.  In  the  morning  an 
officer  came  off  to  demand  the  usual  papers  and  docu- 
ments, and  it  was  not  until  nearly  two  o'clock  that  a 
boat  came  out  with  the  necessary  permission  for  the 
ship  to  warp  up  to  the  wharves  and  discharge  her 
cargo. 

Just  as  Captain  Martin  was  giving  the  order  for  the 
capstan  bars  to  be  manned,  a  fleet  of  some  twenty-four 


BT  PIKE  AND  BYKS.  21 

ships  suddenly  appeared  round  the  seaward  point  of  the 
land. 

"  Wait  a  moment,  lads,"  the  captain  said,  "  half  an 
hour  will  make  no  great  difference  in  our  landing.  We 
may  as  well  wait  and  see  what  is  the  meaning  of  this 
fleet.  They  do  not  look  to  me  to  be  Spaniards,  nor 
seem  to  be  a  mere  trading  fleet.  I  should  not  wonder 
if  they  are  the  beggars  of  the  sea,  who  have  been  forced 
to  leave  Dover,  starved  out  from  the  effect  of  the  queen's 
proclamation,  and  have  now  come  here  to  pick  up  any 
Spaniard  they  may  meet  sailing  out." 

The  fleet  dropped  anchor  at  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
town.  Just  as  they  did  so,  a  ferryman  named  Koppel- 
stok,  who  was  carrying  passengers  across  from  the  town 
of  Maaslandluis,  a  town  on  the  opposite  bank  a  mile  and 
a  half  away,  was  passing  close  by  the  Good  Venture. 

"What  think  you  of  yon  ships?"  the  ferryman 
shouted  to  Captain  Martin. 

"  I  believe  they  must  be  the  beggars  of  the  sea,"  the 
captain  replied.  "  An  order  had  been  issued  before  I 
left  London  that  they  were  not  to  be  supplied  with 
provisions,  and  they  would  therefore  have  liad  to  put 
out  from  Dover.     This  may  well  enough  be  them." 

An  exclamation  of  alarm  broke  from  the  passengers, 
for  the  sea  beggars  were  almost  as  much  feared  by  their 
own  countrymen  as  by  the  Spaniards,  the  latter  having 
spared  no  pains  in  spreading  tales  to  their  disadvantage. 
As  soon  as  the  ferryman  had  landed  his  passengers  he 
rowed  boldly  out  toward  the  fleet,  having  nothing  of 
which  he  could  be  plundered,  and  being  secretly  well 
disposed  toward  the  beggars.  The  first  ship  he  hailed 
was  that  commanded  by  William  de  Blois,  Lord  of 
Treslong,  who  was  well  known  at  Brill,  where  his  father 
had  at  one  time  been  governor. 


2*  -  BY  PISE  AXD  LTKS. 

His  bmther  had  been  executed  by  the  Duke  of  Alva 
four  years  before,  and  he  had  himself  fought  by  the 
side  of  Count  Louis  of  Nassau,  brotlier  to  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  in  the  campaign  that  had  terminated  so  disas- 
trously, and  though  covered  with  wounds  had  been  one 
of  the  few  who  had  escaped  from  the  terrible  cainage 
that  followed  the  defeat  at  Jemmingen.  After  that  dis- 
aster he  had  taken  to  the  sea,  and  was  one  of  the  roost 
famous  of  the  captains  of  De  la  Marck,  who  had  received 
a  commission  of  admiral  from  the  Prince  of  Orange. 

"  We  are  starving,  Koppelstok ;  can  you  inform  us 
bow  we  can  get  some  food  ?  We  have  picked  up  two 
Spanish  traders  on  our  way  here  from  Dover,  but  our 
larders  were  emptied  before  we  sailed,  and  we  found  but 
scant  supply  on  board  our  prizes.'* 

**  There  is  plenty  in  the  town  of  Brill,"  the  ferryman 
said ;  ^  but  none  that  I  know  of  elsewhere.  That  Eng- 
lish brig  lying  there  at  anchor  may  have  a  few  loaves 
on  board."  , 

"  That  will  not  be  much,"  William  de  Blois  replied, 
"among  five  hundred  men,  still  it  will  be  better  tlian 
nothing.  Will  you  row  and  ask  them  if  they  will  sell 
to  us?" 

"  You  had  best  send  a  strongly  armed  crew,"  Koppel- 
stok replied.  "  You  know  the  English  are  well  disposed 
toward  us,  and  the  captain  would  doubtless  give  you  all 
the  provisions  he  had  to  spare  ;  but  to  do  so  would  be 
to  ruin  him  with  the  Spaniards,  who  might  confiscate 
his  ship.  It  were  best  that  you  should  make  a  show  of 
force,  so  that  he  could  plead  that  he  did  but  yield  to 
necessity.'* 

Accordingly  a  boat  with  ten  men  rowed  to  the  brig, 
Koppelstok  accompanying  it.  The  latter  climbed  on  to 
the  deck. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  23 

"  We  mean  you  no  harm,  captain,"  he  said  ;  "  but  the 
men  on  board  these  ships  are  well-nigh  starving.  The 
Sieur  de  Treslong  has  given  me  a  purse  to  pay  for  all 
that  you  can  sell  us,  but  thinking  that  you  might  be 
blamed  for  having  dealings  with  him  by  the  authorities 
of  the  town,  he  sent  these  armed  men  with  me  in  order 
that  if  questioned  you  could  reply  that  they  came  for- 
cibly on  board." 

"  I  will  willingly  let  you  have  all  the  provisions  I 
have  on  board,"  Captain  Martin  said  ;  "  though  these 
will  go  but  a  little  way  among  so  many,  seeing  that  I 
only  carry  stores  sufficient  for  consumption  on  board 
during  my  voyages." 

A  cask  of  salt  beef  was  hoisted  up  on  deck,  with  a 
sack  of  biscuits,  four  cheeses,  and  a  side  of  bacon.  Cap- 
tain Martin  refused  any  payment. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  my  wife  comes  from  these  parts,  and 
my  heart  is  with  the  patriots.  Will  you  tell  Sieur  de 
Treslong  that  Captain  Martin  of  the  Good  Venture  is 
happy  to  do  the  best  in  his  power  for  him  and  his  brave 
followers.  That,  Ned,"  he  observed,  turning  to  his  son 
as  the  boat  rowed  away,  "  is  a  stroke  of  good  policy. 
The  valueof  the  goods  is  small,  but  just  at  this  moment 
they  are  worth  much  to  those  to  whom  I  have  given 
them.  In  the  first  place,  you  see,  we  have  given  aid  to 
the  good  cause,  in  the  second  we  have  earned  the  grati- 
tude of  the  beggars  of  the  sea,  and  I  shall  be  much  more 
comfortable  if  I  run  among  them  in  the  future  than  I 
should  have  done  in  the  past.  The  freedom  to  come 
and  go  without  molestation  by  the  sea  beggars  is  cheaply 
purchased  at  the,  price  of  provisions  which  do  not  cost 
many  crowns." 

On  regaining  the  Sieur  de  Treslong's  ship  some  of  the 
provisions  were  at  once  served  out  among  the  men,  and 


24  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

the  rest  sent  off  among  other  ships,  and  William  de 
Blois  took  Koppelstok  with  him  on  board  the  admiral's 
vessel. 

"  Well,  De  Blois,  what  do  you  counsel  in  this  extrem- 
ity ?  "  De  la  Marck  asked. 

"  I  advise,"  the  Lord  of  Treslong  replied,  "  that  we 
at  once  send  a  message  to  the  town  demanding  its  sur- 
render." 

"Are  you  joking  or  mad,  Treslong?"  the  admiral 
asked  in  surprise.  "  Why  we  can  scarce  muster  four 
hundred  men,  and  the  town  is  well  walled  and  fortified." 

"  There  are  no  Spanish  troops  here,  admiral,  and  if  we 
put  a  bold  front  on  the  matter  we  may  frighten  the 
burghei-s  into  submission.  This  man  says  he  would  be 
willing  to  carry  the  summons.  He  says  the  news  as  to 
who  we  are  has  already  reached  them  by  some  passen- 
gers he  landed  before  he  came  out,  and  he  doubts  not 
they  are  in  a  rare  panic." 

"  Well,  we  can  try,"  the  admiral  said,  laughing ; 
"it  is  clear  we  must  eat,  even  if  we  have  to  fight 
for  it ;  and  hungry  as  we  all  are,  we  do  not  want  to 
wait." 

Treslong  gave  his  ring  to  Koppelstok  to  show  as  his 
authority,  and  the  fisherman  at  once  rowed  ashore.  Stat- 
ing that  the  beggara  of  the  sea  were  determined  to  take 
the  town,  he  made  his  way  through  the  crowd  of  inliabit- 
ants  who  had  assembled  at  the  landing-place,  and  then 
pushed  on  to  the  town-hall,  where  the  magistrates  were 
assembled.  He  informed  them  that  he  had  been  sent  by 
the  Admiral  of  the  Fleet  and  the  Lord  of  Treslong,  who 
was  well  known  to  them,  to  demand  that  two  commis- 
sioners should  be  sent  out  to  them  on  behalf  of  the  city 
to  confer  with  him.  The  only  object  of  those  who  sent 
him  was  to  free  the  land  from  the  crushing  taxes,  and 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  ^ 

to  overthrow  the  tyranny  of  Alva  and  the  Spaniards. 
He  was  asked  by  the  magistrates  what  force  De  la  Marck 
had  at  his  disposal,  and  replied  carelessly  that  he  could 
not  say  exactly,  but  that  there  might  be  five  thousand 
in  all. 

This  statement  completed  the  dismay  that  had  been 
catised  at  the  arrival  of  the  fleet.  The  magistrates  agreed 
that  it  would  be  madness  to  resist,  and  determined  to  fly 
at  once.  With  much  difficulty  two  of  them  were  per- 
suaded to  go  out  to  the  ship  as  deputies,  and  as  soon  as 
they  set  off  most  of  the  leading  burghers  prepared  in- 
stantly for  flight.  The  deputies  on  arriving  on  board 
were  assured  that  no  injury  was  intended  to  the  citizens 
or  private  property,  but  only  the  overthrow  of  Alva's 
government,  and  two  hours  were  given  them  to  decide 
upon  the  surrender  of  the  town. 

During  this  two  hours  almost  all  the  inhabitants  left 
the  town,  taking  with  them  their  most  valuable  property. 
At  the  expiration  of  the  time  the  beggars  landed.  A 
few  of  those  remaining  in  the  city  made  a  faint  attempt 
at  resistance ;  but  Treslong  forced  an  entrance  by  the 
southern  gate,  and  De  la  Marck  made  a  bonfire  against 
the  northern  gate  and  then  battered  it  down  with  the 
end  of  an  old  mast.  Thus  the  patriots  achieved  the 
capture  of  the  first  town,  and  commenced  the  long  war 
that  was  to  end  only  with  the  establishment  of  the  Free 
Republic  of  the  Netherlands.  No  harm  was  done  to 
such  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  as  remained.  The 
conquerors  established  themselves  in  the  best  of  the  de- 
serted houses ;  they  then  set  to  work  to  plunder  the 
churches.  The  altars  and  images  were  all  destroyed ; 
the  rich  furniture,  the  sacred  vessels,  and  the  gorgeous 
vestments  were  appropriated  to  private  use.  Thirteen 
unfortunates,  among  them  some  priests  who  had  been 


26  BY  PIKM  AND  JbTKE. 

unable  to  effect  their  escape,  were  seized  and  put  to 
death  by  De  la  Marck. 

He  had  received  the  strictest  orders  from  the  Prince 
of  Orange  to  respect  the  ships  of  all  neutral  nations,  and 
to  behave  courteously  and  kindly  to  all  captives  he 
might  take.  Neither  of  these  injunctions  were  obeyed. 
De  la  Marck  was  a  wild  and  sanguinary  noble  ;  he  had 
taken  a  vow  upon  hearing  of  the  death  of  his  relative, 
the  Prince  of  Egmont,  who  had  been  executed  by  Alva, 
that  he  would  neither  cut  his  hair  nor  his  beard  until 
that  murder  should  be  revenged,  and  had  sworn  to 
wreak  upon  Alva  and  upon  Popery  the  deep  vengeance 
that  the  nobles  and  peoples  of  the  Netherlands  owed 
them.  This  vow  he  kept  to  the  letter,  and  his  ferocious 
conduct  to  all  priests  and  Spaniards  who  fell  into  his 
hands  deeply  sullied  the  cause  for  which  he  fought. 

Upon  the  day  after  the  capture  of  the  city,  the  Good 
Venture  went  into  the  port.  The  inhabitants,  as  soon 
as  they  learned  that  the  beggai-s  of  the  sea  respected  the 
life  and  property  of  the  citizens,  returned  in  large  num- 
bers, and  trade  was  soon  re-established.  Having  taken 
the  place,  and  secured  the  plunder  of  the  churches  and 
monasteries,  De  la  Marck  would  have  sailed  away  upon 
other  excursions  had  not  the  Sieur  de  Treslong  pointed 
out  to  him  the  importance  of  Brill  to  the  cause,  and  per- 
suaded him  to  hold  the  place  until  he  heard  from  the 
Prince  of  Orange. 


Br  PlKE  AMD  HYKE,  27 


CHAPTER  II. 

TEBBIBLB     NEWS. 

A  FEW  days  after  Brill  had  been  so  boldly  captured, 
Count  Bossu  advanced  from  Utrecht  against  it.  The 
sea  beggars,  confident  as  they  were  as  to  their  power  of 
meeting  the  Spaniards  on  the  seas,  knew  that  on  dry 
land  they  were  no  match  for  the  well-trained  pikemen ; 
they  therefore  kept  within  the  walls.  A  carpenter, 
however,  belonging  to  the  town,  who  had  long  been  a 
secret  partisan  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  seized  an  axe, 
dashed  into  the  water,  and  swam  to  the  sluice  and  burst 
open  the  gates  with  a  few  sturdy  blows.  The  sea 
poured  in  and  speedily  covered  the  land  on  the  north 
side  of  the  city. 

The  Spaniards  advanced  along  the  dyke  to  the  south- 
ern gate,  but  the  sea  beggars  had  hastily  moved  most  of 
the  cannon  on  the  wall  to  that  point,  and  received  the 
Spaniards  with  so  hot  a  fire  that  they  hesitated.  In  the 
meantime  the  Lord  of  Treslong  and  another  ofiicer  had 
filled  two  boats  with  men  and  rowed  out  to  the  ships 
that  had  brought  the  enemy,  cut  some  adrift,  and  set 
others  on  fire.  The  Spaniards  at  the  southern  gate  lost 
heart ;  they  were  exposed  to  a  hot  fire,  which  they  were 
unable  to  return.  On  one  side  they  saw  the  water 
rapidly  rising  above  the  level  of  the  dyke  on  which  they 
stood,  on  the  other  they  perceived  their  only  means  of 
retreat  threatened.  They  turned,  and  in  desperate 
haste  retreated  along  the  causeway  now  under  water. 


28  -Sr  fiSE  AND  DTKM. 

In  their  haste  many  slipped  off  the  road  and  were 
drowned,  others  fell  and  were  smothered  in  the  water, 
and  the  rest  succeeded  in  reaching  such  of  the  vessels 
as  were  still  untouched,  and  with  all  speed  returned  to 
Utrecht. 

From  the  highest  point  of  the  masts  to  which  they 
could  climb.  Captain  Martin,  Ned  and  the  crew  watched 
the  struggle.  Ned  had  begged  his  father  to  let  him  go 
along  the  walls  to  the  south  gate  to  see  the  conflict,  but 
Captain  Martin  refused. 

"  We  know  not  what  the  upshot  of  the  business  may 
be,"  he  said.  "  If  the  Spaniards,  which  is  likely  enough, 
take  the  place,  they  will  slaughter  all  they  meet,  and 
will  not  trouble  themselves  with  questioning  any  one 
whether  he  is  a  combatant  or  a  spectator.  Besides,  when 
they  have  once  taken  the  town,  they  will  question  all 
here,  and  it  would  be  well  that  I  should  be  able  to  say 
that  not  only  did  we  hold  ourselves  neutral  in  the  affair, 
but  that  none  of  my  equipage  had  set  foot  on  shore  to- 
day. Lastly,  it  is  my  purpose  and  hope  if  the  Spaniards 
capture  the  place,  to  take  advantage  of  the  fact  that  all 
will  be  absorbed  in  the  work  of  plunder,  and  to  slip  my 
hawsers  and  make  off.  Wind  and  tide  are  both  favor- 
able, and  doubtless  the  crews  of  their  ships  will,  for  the 
most  part,  land  to  take  part  in  the  sack  as  soon  as  the 
town  is  taken." 

However,  as^it  turned  out,  there  was  no  need  of  these 
precautions ;  the  beggars  were  victorious  and  the  Span- 
iards in  full  flight,  and  great  was  the  rejoicing  in  Brill 
at  this  check  which  they  had  inflicted  upon  their 
oppressors. 

Bossu,  retiring  from  Brill,  took  his  way  toward  Rot- 
terdam. He  found  its  gates  closed ;  the  authorities 
refused  to  submit  to  his  demands  or  to  admit  a  garrison. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DyKE.  29 

They  declared  they  were  perfectly  loyal,  and  needed  no 
body  of  Spanish  troops  to  keep  them  in  order.  Bossu 
requested  permission  for  his  troops  to  pass  through  the 
city  without  halting.  This  was  granted  by  the  magis- 
trates on  condition  that  only  a  corporal's  company  should 
be  admitted  at  a  time.  Bossu  signed  an  agreement  to 
this  effect.  But  throughout  the  whole  trouble  the 
Spaniards  never  once  respected  the  conditions  they  had 
made  and  sworn  to  with  the  inhabitants,  and  no  sooner 
were  the  gates  opened  than  the  whole  force  rushed  in, 
and  tbe  usual  work  of  slaughter,  atrocity,  and  plunder 
commenced.  Within  a  few  minutes  four  hundred  citi- 
zens were  murdered,  and  countless  outrages  and  cruelties 
perpetrated  upon  the  inhabitants. 

Captain  Martin  completed  the  discharging  of  his  car- 
go two  days  after  Bossu  made  his  ineffectual  attempt 
upon  the  town.  A  messenger  had  arrived  that  morning 
from  Flushing,  with  news  that  as  soon  as  the  capture  of 
Brill  had  become  known  in  that  seaport,  the  Seigneur 
de  Herpt  had  excited  the  burghers  to  drive  the  small 
Spanish  garrison  from  the  town. 

Scarcely  had  they  done  so  when  a  large  reinforcement 
of  the  enemy  arrived  before  the  walls,  having  been 
despatched  there  by  Alva,  to  complete  the  fortress  that 
had  been  commenced  to  secure  the  possession  of  this 
important  port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Western  Scheldt. 
Herpt  persuaded  the  burghers  that  it  was  too  late  to 
draw  back  now.  They  had  done  enough  to  draw  the 
vengeance  of  the  Spaniards  upon  them  ;  their  only  hope 
now  was  to  resist  to  the  last.  A  half-witted  man  in  the 
crowd  offered,  if  any  one  would  give  him  a  pot  of  beer 
to  ascend  the  ramparts  and  fire  two  pieces  of  artillery  at 
the  Spanish  ships. 

The  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  man  ran  up  to  the 


30  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ramparts  and  discharged  the  guns.  A  sudden  panic 
seized  the  Spaniards,  and  the  whole  fleet  sailed  away  at 
once  in  the  direction  of  MMdelburg. 

The  governor  of  the  island  next  day  arrived  at  Flush- 
ing and  was  at  once  admitted.  He  called  the  citizens 
together  to  the  market-place  and  there  addressed  them, 
beseeching  them  to  return  to  their  allegiance,  assuring 
them  that  if  they  did  so  the  king,  who  was  the  best- 
natured  prince  in  all  Christendom,  would  forget  and 
forgive  their  offenses.  The  effect  of  the  governor's 
oratory  was  sadly  marred  by  the  interruptions  of  De 
Herpt  and  his  adherents,  who  reminded  the  people  of  the 
fate  that  had  befallen  other  towns  that  had  revolted,  and 
scoffed  at  such  good  nature  as  the  king  displayed  in  the 
scores  of  executions  daily  taking  place  throughout  the 
country. 

The  governor,  finding  his  efforts  unavailing,  had  left 
the  town,  and  as  soon  as  he  did  so  the  messenger  was 
sent  off  to  Brill,  saying  that  the  inhabitants  of  Flush- 
ing were  willing  to  provide  arms  and  ammunition  if 
they  would  send  them  men  experienced  in  partisan 
warfare.  Two  hundred  of  the  beggars,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Treslong,  accordingly  started  the  next  day  for 
Flushing.  The  Good  Venture  threw  off  her  hawsers 
from  the  wharf  at  about  the  same  time  that  these  were 
starting,  and  for  some  time  kept  company  with  them. 

"Did  one  ever  see  such  a  wild  crew?"  Captain 
Martin  said,  shaking  his  head.  "  Never,  I  believe,  did 
such  a  party  set  out  upon  a  warlike  adventure." 

The  appearance  of  Treslong's  followers  was  indeed  ex- 
traordinary. Every  man  was  attired  in  the  gorgeous 
vestments  of  the  plundered  churches — in  gold  and  em- 
broidered cassocks,  glittering  robes,  or  the  somber  cowls 
?wid  garments  of  Capuchin  friars,    As  they  sailed  ?ilong 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKR  3<. 

their  wild  sea  songs  rose  in  the  air,  mingled  with  shouts 
for  vengeance  on  tlie  Spaniards  and  the  Papacy. 

"  One  would  not  think  that  this  ribald  crew  could 
fight,"  Captain  Martin  went  on  ;  "  but  there  is  no  doubt 
they  will  do  so.  They  must  not  be  blamed  altogether  ; 
they  are  half  maddened  by  the  miseries  and  cruelties 
endured  by  their  friends  and  relations  at  the  hands  of 
the  Spaniards.  I  knew  that  when  at  last  the  people 
rose  the  combat  would  be  a  terrible  one,  and  that 
they  would  answer  cruelty  by  cruelty,  blood  by  blood. 
The  Prince  of  Orange,  as  all  men  know,  is  one  of  the 
most  clement  and  gentle  of  rulers.  All  his  ordinances 
enjoin  gentle  treatment  of  prisoners,  and  he  has  promised 
every  one  over  and  over  again  complete  toleration  in 
the  exercise  of  religion ;  but  though  he  may  forgive  and 
forget,  the  people  will  not. 

"  It  is  the  Catholic  church  that  has  been  their  op- 
pressor. In  its  name  tens  of  thousands  have  been 
murdered,  and  I  fear  that  the  slaughter  of  those  priests 
at  Brill  is  but  the  first  of  a  series  of  bloody  reprisals 
that  will  take  place  wherever  the  people  get  the  upper 
hand." 

A  fresh  instance  of  this  was  shown  a  few  hours  after 
the  Good  Venture  put  into  Flushing.  A  ship  arrived 
in  port,  bringing  with  it  Pacheco,  the  Duke  of  Alva's 
chief  engineer,  an  architect  of  the  highest  reputation. 
He  had  been  despatched  by  the  duke  to  take  charge  of 
the  new  works  that  the  soldiers  had  been  sent  to  ex- 
ecute, and  ignorant  of  what  had  taken  place  he  landed 
at  the  port.  He  was  at  once  seized  by  the  mob.  An 
officer,  willing  to  save  his  life,  took  him  from  their 
hands  and  conducted  him  to  the  prison  ;  but  the  popu- 
lace were  clamorous  for  his  blood,  and  Treslong  was 
\7illing  enough  to  satisfy  them  and  to  avenge   upoii 


32  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

Alva's  favorite  officer  the  murder  of  his  brother  by 
Alva's  orders.  The  unfortunate  officer  was  therefore 
condemned  to  be  hung,  and  the  sentence  was  carried 
into  effect  the  same  day. 

A  few  days  later  an  officer  named  Zeraerts  arrived  at 
Flushing  with  a  commission  from  the  Prince  of  Orange 
as  Governor  of  the  Island  of  Walcheren.  He  was 
attended  by  a  small  body  of  French  infantry,  and  tlie 
force  under  his  command  speedily  increased ;  for  as 
soon  as  it  was  known  in  England  that  Brill  and  Flush- 
ing had  thrown  off  the  authority  of  the  Spaniards,  vol- 
unteei-s  from  England  began  to  arrive  in  considerable 
numbers  to  aid  their  fellow-Protestants  in  the  struggle 
before  them. 

The  Good  Venture  had  stayed  only  a  few  hours  in 
Flushing.  In  the  present  condition  of  affairs  there  was 
no  chance  of  obtaining  a  cargo  there,  and  Captain 
Martin  therefore  thought  it  better  not  to  waste  time, 
but  to  pi^oceed  at  once  to  England  in  order  to  learn  the 
intention  of  the  merchants  for  whom  he  generally 
worked  as  to  what  could  be  done  under  the  changed 
state  of  circumstances  that  had  arisen. 

Every  day  brought  news  of  the  extension  of  the 
rising.  The  Spanish  troops  lay  for  the  most  part  in 
Flandei-s,  and  effectually  deterred  the  citizens  of  the 
Flemish  towns  from  revolting ;  but  throughout  Holland, 
Zeeland  and  Friesland  the  flame  of  revolt  spread  rapidly. 
The  news  that  Brill  and  Flushing  had  thrown  off  the 
Spanish  yoke  fired  every  heart.  It  was  the  signal  for 
which  all  had  been  so  long  waiting.  They  knew  how 
desperately  Spain  would  strive  to  regaiii  her  grip  upon 
the  Netherlands,  how  terrible  would  be  her  vengeance 
if  she  conquered ;  but  all  felt  that  it  was  better  to  die 
sword  in  hand  than  to  be  murdered  piecemeal.     An(i 


BY  PIKE  ANt)  DYKE.  33 

accordingly  town  after  town  rose,  expelled  the  author- 
ities appointed  by  Spain  and  the  small  Spanish  garrisons, 
and  in  three  months  after  the  rising  of  Brill  the  greater 
part  of  the  maritime  provinces  were  free.  Some  towns, 
however,  still  remained  faithful  to  Spain.  Prominent 
among  these  was  Amsterdam,  a  great  trading  city, 
which  feared  the  ruin  that  opposition  to  Alva  might 
bring  upon  it,  more  than  the  shame  of  standing  aloof 
when  their  fellow-countrymen  were  fighting  for  freedom 
and  the  right  to  worship  God  in  their  own  wsij. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  Louis  of  Nassau,  with  a  body  of 
troops  from  France,  captured  the  important  town  of 
Mons  by  surprise,  but  was  at  once  beleaguered  there  by 
a  Spanish  army.  In  June  the  States  of  Holland  as- 
sembled at  Dort  and  formally  renounced  the  authority 
of  the  Duke  of  Alva,  and  declared  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
the  royally-appointed  stadtholder,  the  only  legal  repre- 
sentative of  the  Spanish  crown  in  their  country  ;  and  in 
reply  to  an  eloquent  address  of  Sainte  Aldegonde,  the 
prince's  representative,  voted  a  considerable  sum .  of 
money  for.  the  payment  of  the  army  the  prince  was 
raising  in  Germany.  On  the  19th  of  June  a  serious 
misfortune  befell  the  patriot  cause.  A  reinforcement 
of  Huguenot  troops,  on  the  way  to  succor  the  garrison 
of  Mons,  were  met  and  cut  to  pieces  by  the  Spaniards, 
and  Count  Louis,  who  had  been  led  by  the  French  king 
to  expect  ample  succor  and  assistance  from  him,  was 
left  to  his  fate. 

On  the  7th  of  July  the  Prince  of  Orange  crossed  the 
Rhine  with  fourteen  thousand  foot  and  seven  thousand 
horse.  He  advanced  but  a  short  distance  when  the 
troops  mutinied  in  consequence  of  their  pay  being  in 
arrears,  and  he  was  detained  four  weeks  until  the  cities 
of  Holland  guaranteed  their  payment  for  three  months. 


34  ^F  PiKt!  ANh  DYKE. 

A  few  cities  opened  their  gates  to  him,  but  they  were 
for  the  most  part  unimportant  places,  and  Mechlin  was 
the  only  large  town  that  admitted  his  troops.  Still  he 
pressed  on  toward  Mons,  expecting  daily  to  be  joined 
by  twelve  thousand  French  infantry  and  three  thousand 
cavalry  under  the  command  of  Admiral  Coligny. 

The  prince,  who  seldom  permitted  himself  to  be  san- 
guine, believed  that  the  goal  of  his  hopes  was  reached, 
and  tliat  he  should  now  be  able  to  drive  the  Spaniards 
from  the  Netherlands.  But  as  he  was  marching  forward 
he  received  tidings  that  showed  him  that  all  his  plans 
were  shattered,  and  that  the  prospects  were  darker  than 
they  had  ever  before  been.  While  the  King  of  France 
had  throughout  been  encouraging  the  revolted  Nether- 
lands, and  had  authorized  his  minister  to  march  with  an 
army  to  their  assistance,  he  was  preparing  for  a  deed 
that  would  be  the  blackest  in  history,  were  it  not  that 
its  horrors  are  less  appalling  than  those  inflicted  upon 
the  captured  cities  of  the  Netherlands  by  Alva.  On 
St.  Bartholomew's  eve  there  was  a  general  massacre  of 
the  Protestants  in  Paris,  followed  by  similaf  massacres 
throughout  France,  the  number  of  victims  being  vari- 
ously estimated  at  from  twenty-five  to  a  hundred 
thousand. 

Protestant  Europe  was  filled  with  horror  at  this  terrible 
crime,  Philip  of  Spain  was  filled  with  equal  delight. 
Not  only  was  the  danger  that  seemed  to  threaten  him  in 
the  Netherlands  at  once  and  forever,  as  he  believed,  at 
an  end,  but  he  saw  in  this  destruction  of  the  Protestants 
of  France  a  great  step  in  the  direction  he  had  so  much 
at  heart — the  entire  extirpation  of  heretics  throughout 
Europe.  He  wrote  letters  of  the  warmest  congratula- 
tion to  the  King  of  France,  with  whom  he  had  formerly 
been  at  enmity;  while  the  pope,  accompanied  by  his 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  35 

cardinals,  went  to  the  church  of  St.  Mark  to  render 
thanks  to  God  for  the  grace  thus  singularly  vouchsafed 
to  the  Holy  See  and  to  all  Christendom. 

To  the  Prince  of  Orange  the  news  came  as  a  thunder- 
clap. His  troops  wholly  lost  heart,  and  refused  to  keep 
the  field.  The  prince  himself  almost  lost  his  life  at  the 
hands  of  the  mutineers,  and  at  last,  crossing  the  Rhine, 
he  disbanded  ];is  army  and  went  almost  alone  to  Holland 
to  share  the  fate  of  the  provinces  that  adhered  to  him. 
He  went  there  expecting  and  prepared  to  die.  "  There 
I  will  make  my  sepulcher,"  was  his  expression  in  the 
letter  in  which  he  announced  his  intention  to  his  brother. 
Count  Louis  of  Nassau  had  now  nothing  left  before  him 
but  to  surrender.  His  soldiers,  almost  entirely  French, 
refused  any  longer  to  resist,  now  that  tlie  king  had 
changed  his  intentions,  and  the  city  was  surrendered,  the 
garrison  being  allowed  to  retire  with  their  weapons. 

The  terms  of  the  capitulation  were  so  far  respected ; 
but  instead  of  the  terms  respecting  the  townspeople  be- 
ing adhered  to,  a  council  of  blood  was  set  up,  and  for 
many  months  from  ten  to  twenty  of  the  inhabitants 
were  hanged,  burned,  or  beheaded  every  day.  The  news 
of  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  of  the  treachery  of 
the  King  of  France  toward  the  inhabitants  of  the  Nether- 
lands, and  of  the  horrible  cruelties  perpetrated  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  Mechlin  and  other  towns  that  had 
opened  their  gates  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  excited  the 
most  intense  indignation  among  the  people  of  England. 

The  queen  put  on  mourning,  but  was  no  more  in- 
clined than  before  to  render  any  really  efficient  aid  to  the 
Netherlands.  She  allowed  volunteers  to  pass  over,  fur- 
nished some  meager  sums  of  money,  but  held  aloof  from 
any  open  participation  in  the  war ;  for  if  before,  when 
France  was  supposed  to  be  favorable  to  the  Netherlands 


86  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

and  hostile  to  Spain,  she  felt  unequal  to  a  war  with  the 
latter  power,  still  less  could  she  hope  to  cope  with  Spain 
when  the  deed  of  St.  Bartholomew  had  re-united  the 
two  Catholic  monarchs. 

Captain  Martin,  married  to  a  native  of  the  Nether- 
lands, and  mixing  constantly  with  the  people  in  his 
trade,  was  naturally  ardent,  even  beyond  the  majority 
of  his  countrymen,  in  their  cause,  and  over  and  over 
again  declared  that  were  he  sailing  by  when  a  sea-fight 
was  going  on  between  the  Dutch  and  the  Spaniards,  he 
would  pull  down  his  English  flag,  hoist  that  of  Holland, 
and  join  in  the  fray ;  and  Ned,  as  was  to  be  expected, 
shared  to  the  utmost  his  father's  feelings  on  the  subject. 
Early  in  September  the  Good  Venture  started  with  a 
cargo  for  Amsterdam,  a  city  that  almost  alone  in  Hol- 
land adhered  to  the  Spanish  cause. 

Sophie  Martin  was  pleased  when  she  heard  that  this 
was  the  ship's  destination ;  for  she  was  very  anxious  as 
to  the  safety  of  her  father  and  brothers,  from  whom  she 
had  not  heard  for  a  long  time.  Postage  was  dear  and 
mails  irregular.  Few  letters  were  written  or  received 
by  people  in  England,  still  more  seldom  letters  sent 
across  the  sea.  There  would,  therefore,  under  the  ordi- 
nary circumstances,  have  been  no  cause  whatever  for 
uneasiness  had  years  elasped  without  news  coming  from 
Amsterdam ;  and,  indeed,  during  her  whole  married  life 
Sophie  Martin  had  only  received  one  or  two  letters  by 
post  from  her  former  home,  although  many  communica- 
tions had  been  brought  by  friends  of  her  husband's  trad- 
ing there.  But  as  many  weeks  seldom  passed  without 
the  Good  Venture  herself  going  into  Amsterdam,  for 
that  town  was  one  of  the  great  trading  centers  of  Hol- 
land, there  was  small  occasion  for  letters  to  pass.  It 
happened,  however,  that  from  one  cause  or  another, 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  37 

eighteen  months  had  passed  since  Captain  Martin's 
business  had  taken  him  to  that  port,  and  no  letter  had 
come  either  by  post  or  hand  during  that  time. 

None  who  had  friends  in  the  Netherlands  could  feel 
assured  that  these  must,  either  from  their  station  or 
qualities,  be  safe  from  the  storm  that  was  sweeping  over 
the  country.  The  poor  equally  with  the  rich,  the  artisan 
equally  with  the  noble,  was  liable  to  become  a  victim  of 
Alva's  Council  of  Blood.  The  net  was  drawn  so  as  to 
catch  all  classes  and  conditions ;  and  although  it  was 
upon  the  Protestants  that  his  fury  chiefly  fell,  the 
Catholics  suffered  too,  for  pretexts  were  always  at  hand 
upon  which  these  could  also  be  condemned. 

The  Netherlands  swarmed  with  spies  and  informers, 
and  a  single  unguarded  expression  of  opinion  was 
sufficient  to  send  a  man  to  the  block.  And,  indeed,  in 
a  vast  number  of  cases,  private  animosity  was  the  cause 
of  the  denunciation ;  for  any  accusation  could  be  safely 
made  where  there  was  no  trial  and  the  victims  were 
often  in  complete  ignorance  as  to  the  nature  of  the  sup- 
posed crime  for  which  they  were  seized  and  dragged 
away  to  execution. 

When  the  vessel  sailed  Sophie  Martin  gave  her  hus- 
band a  letter  to  her  father  and  brothers,  begging  them 
to  follow  the  example  of  thousands  of  their  countrymen, 
and  to  leave  the  land  where  life  and  property  were  no 
longer  safe,  and  to  come  over  to  London.  They  would 
have  no  difficulty  in  procuring  work  there,  and  could 
establish  themselves  in  business  and  do  as  well  as  they 
had  been  doing  at  home. 

They  had,  she  knew,  money  laid  by  in  London ;  for 
after  the  troubles  began  her  father  had  sold  off  the  houses 
and  other  property  he  had  purchased  witli  his  savings, 
p,nd  had  transmitted  the  result  to  England  by  her  hus- 


38  BT  PIKE  AND  BTKE. 

band,  who  had  intrusted  it  for  investment  to  a  leading 
citizen  with  whom  he  did  business.  As  this  represented 
not  only  her  father's  accumulations  but  those  of  her 
brothers  who  worked  as  partners  with  him,  it  amounted 
to  a  sum  that  in  those  days  was  regarded  as  consider- 
able. 

"I  feel  anxious,  Ned,"  Captain  Martin  said  as  he 
sailed  up  the  Zuider-Zee  toward  the  city,  "  as  to  what 
has  befallen  your  grandfather  and  uncles.  I  have  always 
made  the  best  of  tlie  matter  to  your  mother,  but  I  cannot 
conceal  from  myself  that  harm  may  have  befallen  them. 
It  is  strange  that  no  message  has  come  to  us  through 
any  of  our  friends  trading  with  the  town,  for  your  uncles 
know  many  of  my  comrades  and  can  see  their  names  in 
the  shipping  lists  when  they  arrive.  They  would  have 
known  how  anxious  your  mother  would  be  at  the  news 
of  the  devil's  work  that  is  going  on  here,  and,  being 
always  tender  and  thoughtful  for  her,  would  surely  have 
sent  her  news  of  them  from  time  to  time  as  they  had  a 
chance.  I  sorely  fear  that  something  must  have  hap- 
pened. Your  uncles  are  prudent  men,  going  about  their 
work  and  interfering  with  none ;  but  they  are  men,  too, 
who  speak  their  mind,  and  would  not,  like  many,  make 
a  false  show  of  affection  when  they  feel  none. 

"  Well,  well ;  we  shall  soon  know.  As  soon  as  the 
ship  is  moored  and  my  papers  are  declared  in  order,  you 
and  I  will  go  over  to  Vordwyk  and  see  how  they  are 
faring.  I  think  not  that  they  will  follow  your  mother's 
advice  and  sail  over  with  us ;  for  it  was  but  the  last 
time  I  saw  them  that  they  spoke  bitterly  against  the 
emigrants,  and  said  that  every  man  who  could  bear  arms 
should,  however  great  his  danger,  wait  and  bide  the 
time  until  there  was  a  chance  to  strike  for  his  religion 
and  country.    They  are  sturdy  men  these  Dutchmen, 


BY  Pike  and  dyke.  &d 

and  not  readily  turned  from  an  opinion  they  have  taken 
up,  and  although  I  shall  do  my  best  to  back  up  your 
mother's  letter  by  my  arguments,  I  have  but  small  hope 
that  I  shall  prevail  with  them." 

In  the  evening  they  were  moored  alongside  the  quays 
of  Amsterdam,  at  that  time  one  of  the  busiest  cities  in 
Europe.  Its  trade  was  great,  the  wealth  of  its  citizens 
immense.  It  contained  a  large  number  of  monasteries, 
its  authorities  were  all  Catholics  and  devoted  to  the  cause 
of  Spain,  and  although  there  were  a  great  many  well- 
wishers  to  the  cause  of  freedom  within  its  walls,  these 
were  powerless  to  take  action,  and  the  movement  which 
after  the  capture  of  Brill  and  Flushing,  had  caused  al- 
most all  the  towns  of  Holland  to  declare  for  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  found  no  echo  in  Amsterdam.  The  vessel 
anchored  outside  the  port,  and  the  next  morning,  after 
their  papers  were  examined  and  found  in  order,  she 
ranged  up  alongside  the  crowded  tiers  of  shipping. 
Captain  Martin  went  on  shore  with  Ned,  visited  the 
merchants  to  whom  his  cargo  was  consigned,  and  told 
them  that  he  should  begin  to  unload  the  next  day. 

He  then  started  with  Ned  to  walk  to  Vordwyk,  which 
lay  two  miles  away.  On  reaching  the  village  they  stop- 
ped suddenly.  The  roof  of  the  house  they  had  so  often 
visited  was  gone,  its  walls  blackened  by  fire.  After  the 
first  exclamation  of  surprise  and  regret  they  walked 
forward  until  opposite  the  ruin,  and  stood  gazing  at  it. 
Then  Captain  Martin  stepped  up  to  a  villager,  who  was 
standing  at  the  door  of  his  shop,  and  asked  him  when 
did  this  happen,  what  had  become  of  the  old  man 
Plomaert  ? 

"  You  are  his  son-in-law,  are  you  not  ?  "  the  man  asked 
in  reply.  "  I  have  seen  you  here  at  various  times.'* 
Captain  Martin  nodded.     The  man  looked  round  cau- 


4d  BT  PIKE  AiJD  bYKt. 

tiously  to  see  that  none  were  within  sound  of  his 
voice. 

"  You  have  not  heard  then  ?  "  he  said.  "  It  was  a 
terrible  business,  though  we  are  growing  used  to  it  now. 
One  day,  it  is  some  eight  months  since,  a  party  of 
soldiers  came  from  Amsterdam  and  hauled  away  my 
neighbor  Plomaert  and  his  three  sons.  They  were 
denounced  as  having  attended  the  field  preaching  a  year 
ago,  and  you  know  what  that  means." 

"  And  the  villains  murdered  them  ?  "  Captain  Mar- 
tin asked  in  horror-stricken  tones. 

The  man  nodded.  "  They  were  hung  together  next 
day,  together  with  Gertrude,  the  wife  of  the  eldest 
brother.  Johan  was,  as  you  know,  unmarried.  Eliza- 
beth, the  wife  of  Louis,  lay  ill  at  the  time,  or  doubtless 
she  would  have  fared  the  same  as  the  rest.  She  has 
gone  with  her  two  daughter  to  Haarlem  where  her  family 
live.  All  their  property  was,  of  course,  seized  and  con- 
fiscated, and  the  house  burned  down  ;  for,  as  you  know, 
they  all  lived  together.  Now,  ni}'  friend,  I  will  leave 
yu.  I  dare  not  ask  you  in  for  I  know  not  who  may  be 
watching  us,  and  to  entertain  even  the  brother-in-law  of 
men  who  have  been  sent  to  the  gallows  might  well  cost 
a  man  his  life  in  our  days." 

Then  Captain  Martin's  grief  and  passion  found  vent 
in  words,  and  he  roundly  cursed  the  Spaniards  and  their 
works,  regardless  of  who  might  hear  him;  then  he  en- 
tered the  garden,  visited  the  summer-house  where  he  had 
so  often  talked  with  the  old  man  and  his  sons,  and  then 
sat  down  and  gave  full  vent  to  his  grief,  Ned  felt 
almost  stunned  by  the  news  ;  being  so  often  away  at 
sea  he  had  never  given  the  fact  that  so  long  a  time  had 
elapsed  since  his  mother  had  received  a  letter  from  her 
family  much  thought.     It  had,  indeed  been  mentioned 


&  D.    Captair  Maktin  learns  op  thb  death  of  the  Plomaerts.— Page  40. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  41 

before  him;  but,  knowing  the  disturbed  state  of  the 
country,  it  had  seemed  to  him  natural  enough  that  his 
uncles  should  have  had  much  to  think  of  and  trouble 
them,  and  might  well  have  no  time  for  writing  letters. 
His  father's  words  the  evening  before  had  for  the  first 
time  excited  a  feeling  of  real  uneasiness  about  them, 
and  the  shock  caused  by  the  sight  of  the  ruined  house, 
and  the  news  that  his  grandfather,  his  three  uncles,  and 
one  of  liis  aunts,  had  been  murdered  by  the  Spaniards, 
completely  overwhelmed  him. 

"  Let  us  be  going,  Ned,"  his  father  said  at  last ;  "there 
is  nothing  for  us  to  do  here ;  let  us  get  back  to  our 
ship.  I  am  a  peaceable  man,  Ned,  but  I  feel  now  as  if 
I  could  join  the  beggars  of  the  sea,  and  go  with  them  in 
slaying  every  Spaniard  who  fell  into  their  hands.  This 
will  be  terrible  news  for  your  mother,  lad." 

"  It  will  indeed,"  Ned  replied.  "  Oh,  father,  I  wish 
you  would  let  me  stay  here  and  join  the  prince's  bands 
and  fight  for  their  freedom.  There  were  English  vol- 
unteers coming  out  to  Brill  and  Flushing  when  we 
sailed  from  the  Thames,  and  if  they  come  to  fight  for 
Holland  who  have  no  tie  in  blood,  why  should  not  I 
who  am  Dutch  by  my  mother's  side  and  whose  rela- 
tions have  been  murdered  ?  " 

"  We  will  talk  of  it  later  on,  Ned,"  his  father  said. 
"  Tou  are  young  yet  for  such  rough  work  as  this,  and 
this  is  no  common  war.  There  is  no  quarter  given  here, 
it  is  a  fight  to  the  death.  The  Spaniards  slaughter  the 
Protestants  like  wild  beasts,  and  like  wild  beasts  they 
will  defend  themselves.  But  if  this  war  goes  on  till 
you  have  gained  your  full  strength  and  sinew  I  will  not 
say  you  nay.  As  you  say,  our  people  at  home  are  ready 
to  embark  in  a  war  for  the  cause  of  liberty  and  religion, 
did  the  queen  but  give  the  word;  and  when  others, 


42  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

fired  solely  by  horror  at  the  Spaniards'  cruelty,  are  ready 
to  come  over  here  and  throw  in  their  lot  with  them,  it 
seems  to  me  that  it  will  be  but  right  that  you,  who  are 
half  Dutch  and  have  had  relatives  murdered  by  these 
fiends,  should  come  over  and  side  with  the  oppressed. 
If  there  is  fighting  at  sea,  it  may  be  that  I  myself  will 
take  part  with  them,  and  place  the  Good  Venture  at  the 
service  of  the  Prince  of  Orange.  But  of  that  we  will 
talk  later  on,  as  also  about  yourself.  When  you  are 
eighteen  you  will  still  be  full  young  for  such  work." 

As  they  talked  they  were  walking  fast  toward  Am- 
sterdam. "  We  will  go  sti'aight  on  board,  Ned ;  and  I 
will  not  put  my  foot  ashore  again  before  we  sail.  I  do 
not  think  that  I  could  trust  myself  to  meet  a  Spaniard 
now,  but  should  draw  my  knife  and  rush  upon  him.  I 
liave  known  that  these  things  happened,  we  have  heard 
of  these  daily  butcherings,  but  it  has  not  come  home  to 
me  as  now,  when  our  own  friends  are  the  victims." 

Entering  the  gate  of  the  town  they  made  their  way 
straight  down  to  the  port,  and  were  soon  on  board  the 
Good  Venture  where  Captain  Martin  retired  to  his 
cabin.  Ned  felt  too  restless  and  excited  to  go  down  at 
present ;  but  he  told  the  crew  what  had  happened,  and 
the  exclamations  of  anger  amongthe  honest  sailors  were 
loud  and  deep.  Most  of  them  had  sailed  with  Captain 
Martin  ever  since  he  had  commanded  the  Good  Ven- 
ture, and  had  seen  the  Plomaerts  when  they  had  come 
on  board  whenever  the  vessel  put  in  at  Amsterdam. 
The  fact  that  there  was  nothing  to  do,  and  no  steps 
to  take  to  revenge  the  murders,  angered  them  all  the 
more. 

"  I  would  we  had  twenty  ships  like  our  own.  Master 
Ned,"  one  of  them  said.  "  That  would  give  us  four 
hundred  men,  and  with  those  we  could  go  ashore  and 


^Y  flKE  AND  DYKK  43 

iiang  the  magistrates  and  the  councilors  and  all  wlio 
had  a  hand  in  this  foul  business,  and  set  their  public 
buildings  in  a  flame,  and  then  fight  our  way  back  again 
to  the  port." 

"  I  am  afraid  four  hundred  men  would  not  be  able 
to  do  it  here  as  they  did  at  Brill.  There  was  no 
Spanish  garrison  there,  and  here  they  have  a  regiment ; 
and  though  the  Spaniards  seem  to  have  the  hearts  of 
devils  rather  than  men,  they  can  fight." 

"  Well,  we  would  take  our  chance,"  the  sailor  re- 
plied. "  If  there  was  four  hundred  of  us,  and  the  cap- 
tain gave  the  word,  we  would  show  them  what  English 
sailors  could  do,  mates — wouldn't  we  ?  " 

"  Ay,  that  would  we,"  the  others  growled  in  a  chorus. 

The  next  morning  the  work  of  unloading  began. 
The  sailors  worked  hard ;  for,  as  one  of  them  said, 
"  This  place  seems  to  smell  of  blood — let's  be  out  of  it, 
mates,  as  soon  as  we  can."  At  four  in  the  afternoon  a 
lad  of  about  Ned's  age  came  on  board.  He  was  the  son 
of  the  merchant  to  whom  the  larger  part  of  the  cargo  of 
the  Good  Venture  was  consigned. 

"  I  have  a  letter  that  my  father  charged  me  to  give 
into  your  hands.  Captain  Martin.  He  said  that  the 
matter  was  urgent,  and  begged  me  to  give  it  j^ou  in 
your  cabin.  He  also  told  me  to  ask  when  you  think 
your  hold  will  be  empty,  as  he  has  goods  for  you  for 
the  return  voyage." 

"  We  shall  be  well-nigh  empty  by  to-morrow  night," 
Captain  Martin  said,  as  he  led  the  way  to  his  cabin  in 
the  poop.  "  The  men  have  been  .working  faster  than 
usual,  for  it  generally  takes  us  three  days  to  unload." 

"  I  do  not  think  my  father  cared  about  that,"  the  lad 
said  when  he  entered  the  cabin  ;  "  it  was  but  an  excuse 
for  my  coming  down  here,  and  he  gave  me  the  message 


44  BT  PIKE  AND  BtKS. 

before  all  the  other  clerks.  But  methinks  that  the 
letter  is  the  real  object  of  my  coming." 

Captain  Martin  opened  the  letter.  Thanks  to  his 
preparation  for  taking  his  place  in  his  father's  business, 
he  had  learned  to  read  and  write  ;  accomplishments  by 
no  means  general  among  sea-captains  of  the  time. 

"It  is  important,  indeed,"  he  said,  as  he  glanced 
through  the  letter.  It  ran  as  follows :  "  Captain 
Martin — A  friend  of  mine,  who  is  one  of  the  council 
here,  has  just  told  me  that  at  the  meeting  this  afternoon 
a  denunciation  was  laid  against  you  for  having  publicly, 
in  the  street  of  Vordwyk,  cursed  and  abused  his  majesty 
the  King  of  Spain,  the  Duke  of  Alva,  the  Spaniards, 
and  the  Catholic  religion.  Some  were  of  opinion  that 
you  should  at  once  be  arrested  on  board  your  ship,  but 
others  thought  that  it  were  better  to  wait  and  seize  you 
the  first  time  you  came  on  shore,  as  it  might  cause 
trouble,  were  you  taken  from  under  the  protection  of 
the  British  flag.  On  shore,  they  urged,  no  question 
could  arise,  especially  as  many  English  have  now, 
although  the  two  nations  are  at  peace,  openly  taken 
service  under  the  Prince  of  Orange. 

"  I  have  sent  to  tell  you  this,  though  at  no  small  risk 
to  myself  were  it  discovered  that  I  had  done  so ;  but  as 
we  have  had  dealings  for  many  years  together,  I  think 
it  right  to  warn  you.  I  may  say  that  the  counsel  of 
those  who  were  for  waiting  prevailed ;  but  if,  after  a 
day  or  two,  they  find  that  you  do  not  come  ashore,  I 
fear  they  will  not  hesitate  to  arrest  you  on  your  own 
vessel.  Please  to  destroy  this  letter  at  once  after  you 
have  read  it,  and  act  as  seems  best  to  you  under  the 
circumstances.  I  send  this  to  you  by  my  son's  hand, 
for  there  are  spies  everywhere,  and  in  these  days  one 
can  trust  no  one." 


5r  PIKE  ANi)  DTkE.  46 

"I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  young  sir,  for  bringing 
me  this  letter.  Will  you  thank  your  father  from  me, 
and  say  that  I  feel  deeply  indebted  to  him,  and  will 
think  over  how  I  can  best  escape  from  this  strait.  Give 
him  the  message  from  me  before  others,  that  I  shall  be 
empty  and  ready  to  receive  goods  by  noon  on  the  day 
after  to-morrow." 

When  the  lad  had  left,  Captain  Martin  called  in  Ned 
and  William  Peters,  his  first  mate,  and  laid  the  case  be- 
fore them. 

'^  It  is  an  awkward  business,  Captain  Martin,"  Peters 
said.  "  You  sha'n't  be  arrested  on  board  the  Good 
Venture,  as  long  as  there  is  a  man  on  board  can  wield 
a  cutlass ;  but  I  don't  know  whether  that  would  help 
you  in  the  long  run." 

"  Not  at  all,  Peters.  We  might  beat  off  the  first 
part}^  that  came  to  take  me,  but  it  would  not  be  long  be- 
fore they  brought  up  a  force  against  which  we  should 
stand  no  chance  whatever.  No,  it  is  not  by  fighting 
that  there  is  any  chance  of  escape.  It  is  evident  by 
this  that  I  am  safe  for  to-morrow  ;  they  will  wait  at 
least  a  day  to  see  if  I  go  ashore,  which  indeed  they  will 
make  certain  I  shall  do  sooner  or  later.  As  far  as  my 
own  safety  is  concerned  and  that  of  Ned  here,  who,  as 
he  was  with  me,  is  doubtless  included  in  the  denuncia- 
tion, it  is  easy  enough.  We  have  only  to  get  into  the 
boat  after  dark,  to  muffle  the  oars,  and  to  row  for 
Haarlem,  which  lies  but  ten  miles  away,  and  has  de- 
clared for  the  Prince  of  Orange.  But  I  do  not  like  to 
leave  the  ship,  for  if  they  found  us  gone  they  might 
seize  and  declare  it  confiscated.  And  although  when 
we  got  back  to  England,  we  might  lay  a  complaint  be- 
fore the  queen,  there  would  be  no  chance  of  our  getting 
the  ship  or  her  value  from  the  Spaniards.    There  are  so 


46  ^1r  PIKE  AND  DtKE. 

many  causes  of  complaint  between  the  two  nations,  that 
the  seizure  of  a  brig  would  make  no  difference  one 
way  or  another.  The  question  is,  could  we  get  her 
out?" 

"  It  would  be  no  easy  matter,"  Peters  said,  shaking 
his  head.  "  That  French  ship  that  came  in  this  after- 
noon has  taken  up  a  berth  outside  us,  and  there  would 
be  no  getting  out  until  she  moved  out  of  the  way.  If 
slie  were  not  there  it  might  be  tried,  though  it  would  be 
difficult  to  do  so  without  attracting  attention.  As  for 
the  Spanish  war  vessels,  of  which  there  are  four  in  the 
port,  I  should  not  fear  them  if  we  once  got  our  sails  up, 
for  the  Venture  can  sail  faster  than  these  lubberly 
Spaniards  ;  but  they  would  send  row-boats  after  us,  and 
unless  the  wind  was  strong  these  would  speedily  over- 
haul us." 

"  Well,  I  must  think  it  over,"  Captain  Martin  said. 
"  I  should  be  sorry  indeed  to  lose  my  ship,  which  would 
be  well-nigh  ruin  to  me,  but  if  there  is  no  other  way  we 
must  make  for  Haarlem  by  boat." 

The  next  day  the  work  of  unloading  continued.  In 
the  afternoon  the  captain  of  the  French  ship  lying  out- 
side them  came  on  board.  He  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
trading  with  Holland,  and  addressed  Captain  Martin  in 
Dutch. 

"  Are  you  likely  to  be  lying  here  long?"  he  asked. 
"  I  want  to  get  my  vessel  alongside  the  wharf  as  soon 
as  I  can,  for  it  is  slow  Avork  unloading  into  these 
lighters.  There  are  one  or  two  ships  going  out  in  the 
morning,  but  I  would  rather  have  got  in  somewhere 
about  this  point  if  I  could,  for  the  warehouses  of 
Mynheer  Strous,  to  whom  my  goods  are  consigned,  lie 
just  opposite." 

"  Will  you  come  down  into  my  cabin  and  have  a  glass 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  47 

of  wine  with  me,"  Captain  Martin  said,  "  and  then  we 
can  talk  it  over  ?  " 

Captain  Martin  discovered,  without  much  trouble, 
that  the  French  captain  was  a  Huguenot,  and  that  his 
sympathies  were  all  with  the  people  of  the  Netherlands. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  can  speak  freely  to  you.  I  was 
ashore  the  day  before  yesterday,  uid  learned  that  my 
wife's  father,  her  three  brothers  and  one  of  their  wives 
have  been  murdered  by  the  Spaniards.  Well,  you  can 
understand  that  in  my  grief  and  rage  I  cursed  the 
Spaniards  and  their  doings.  I  have  learned  that  some 
spy  has  denounced  me,  and  that  they  are  only  waiting 
for  me  to  set  foot  on  shore  to  arrest  me,  and  you  know 
what  will  come  after  that ;  for  at  present,  owing  to  the 
volunteers  that  have  come  over  to  Brill  and  Flushing, 
the  Spaniards  are  furious  against  the  English.  They 
would  rather  take  me  on  shore  than  on  board,  but  if  they 
find  that  I  do  not  land  they  will  certainly  come  on 
board  for  me.  They  believe  that  I  shall  not  be  unloaded 
until  noon  to-morrow,  and  doubtlessly  expect  that  as 
soon  as  the  cargo  is  out  I  shall  land  to  arrange  for  a 
freight  to  England.  Therefore,  until  to-morrow  after- 
noon I  am  safe,  but  no  longer.  Now,  I  am  thinking  of 
trying  to  get  out  quietly  to-night;  but  to  do  so  it  is 
necessary  that  you  should  shift  your  berth  a  ship's  length 
one  way  or  the  other.     Will  you  do  this  for  me  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  will,  with  pleasure,"  the  captain  replied. 
"  I  will  give  orders  at  once." 

"  No,  that  will  never  do,"  Captiain  Martin  said. 
"  They  are  all  the  more  easy  about  me  because  they  know 
that  as  long  as  your  ship  is  there  I  cannot  get  out,  but 
if  they  saw  you  shifting  your  berth  it  would  strike 
them  at  once  that  I  might  be  intending  to  slip  away. 
You  must  wait  until  it  gets  perfectly  dark,  and  then 


48  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

throw  off  your  warps  and  slacken  out  your  cable  as  si- 
lently as  possible,  and  let  her  drop  down  so  as  to  leave 
me  an  easy  passage.  As  soon  as  it  is  dark  I  will  grease 
all  my  blocks,  and  when  everything  is  quiet  try  to  get 
her  out.  What  wind  there  is  is  from  the  southwest, 
which  will  take  us  well  down  the  Zuider-Zee." 

"  I  hope  you  may  succeed,"  the  French  captain  said. 
"  Once  under  sail  you  would  be  safe  from  their  war- 
ships, for  you  would  be  two  or  three  miles  away  before 
they  could  manage  to  get  up  their  sails.  The  danger 
lies  in  their  rowboats  and  galleys." 

"  Well,  well,  we  must  risk  it,"  Captain  Martin  said. 
"  I  shall  have  a  boat  alongside,  and  if  I  find  the  case  is 
desperate  we  will  take  to  it  and  row  to  the  shore,  and 
make  our  way  to  Haarlem,  where  we  should  be  safe." 

Ned,  who  had  been  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  all  day, 
observed  that  two  Spanish  officials  had  taken  up  their 
station  on  the  wharf,  not  far  from  the  ship.  They  ap- 
peared to  have  nothing  to  do,  and  to  be  indiflferent  to 
what  was  going  on.  He  told  his  father  that  he  thought 
that  they  were  watching.  Presently  the  merchant  him- 
self came  down  to  the  wharf.  He  did  not  come  on 
board,  but  spoke  to  Captain  Martin  as  he  stood  on  the 
deck  of  the  vessel,  so  that  all  around  could  hear  his 
words. 

"  How  are  you  getting  on,  Captain  Martin  ?  "  he  asked 
in  Dutch. 

••'  Fairly  well,*'  Captain  Martin  replied.  "  I  think  if 
we  push  on  we  shall  have  her  empty  by  noon  to-mor- 
row." 

"  I  have  a  cargo  to  go  back  with  you,  you  know,"  the 
merchant  said,  "and  I  shall  want  to  see  you  at  the 
office,  if  you  will  step  round  to-morrow  after  you  have 
cleared." 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  49 

*'  All  right,  Mynheer,  you  may  expect  me  about  two 
o'clock.     But  you  won't  see  me,"  he  added  to  himself. 

The  merchant  waved  his  hand  and  walked  away, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  the  two  officials  also  strolled 
off. 

"  That  has  thrown  dust  into  their  eyes,"  Captain 
Martin  said,  "  and  has  made  it  safe  for  Strous.  He  will 
pretend  to  be  as  surprised  as  any  one  when  he  hears  I 
have  gone." 


50>  BY  PIKE  AND  DIKE, 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  FIGHT  WITH  THE  SPANIARDS. 

As  soon  as  it  became  dark,  and  the  wharves  were  de- 
serted, Captain  Martin  sent  two  sailors  aloft  with  grea-se 
pots,  with  orders  that  every  block  was  to  be  carefully 
greased  to  ensure  its  running  without  noise.  A  boat 
which  rowed  six  oars  was  lowered  noiselessly  into  the 
water,  and  flannel  was  bound  round  the  oai^.  The  men 
who  had  been  aware  of  the  danger  that  threatened  their 
captain,  sharpened  the  pikes  and  axes,  and  declared  to 
each  other  that  whether  the  captain  ordered  it  or  not  no 
Spaniards  should  set  foot  on  board  as  long  as  one  of 
them  stood  alive  on  the  decks.  The  cook  filled  a  great 
boiler  with  water  and  lighted  a  fire  under  it,  and  the 
carpenter  heated  a  caldron  of  pitch  without  ordera. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  Thompson  ? "  the  captain 
asked,  noticing  the  glow  of  the  fire  as  he  came  out  of  his 
cabin. 

The  sailor  came  aft  before  he  replied,  "  I  am  just  cook- 
ing up  a  little  hot  sauce  for  the  dons,  captain.  We 
don't  ask  them  to  come,  you  know ;  but  if  they  do,  it's 
only  right  that  we  should  entertain  them." 

"  I  hope  there  will  be  no  fighting,  lad,"  the  captain 
said. 

"  Well,  your  honor,  that  ain't  exactly  the  wish  of  me 
and  my  mates.  After  what  we  have  been  hearing  of, 
we  feel  as  we  sha'n't  be  happy  until  we  have  had  a  brush 


J?r  Pike  and  dyke.  61 

with  them  'ere  Spaniards.  And  as  to  fighting,  your 
honor ;  from  wliat  we  have  heard,  Captain  Hawkins  and 
others  out  in  the  Indian  seas  have  been  a-showing  that 
though  they  may  swagger  on  land  that  they  ain't  no 
match  for  an  Englishman  on  the  sea.  Anyhow,  your 
honor,  we  ain't  going  to  stand  by  and  see  you  and 
Master  Ned  carried  away  by  these  'ere  butchering 
Spaniards. 

"  We  have  all  made  up  our  minds  that  what  happens 
to  you  happens  to  all  of  us.  We  have  sailed  together 
in  this  ship  the  Good  Venture  for  the  last  seventeen  or 
eighteen  years,  and  we  means  to  swim  or  sink  together. 
No  disrespect  to  you,  captain ;  but  that  is  the  fixed  in- 
tention of  all  of  us.  It  would  be  a  nice  thing  for  us  to 
sail  back  to  the  port  of  London  and  say  as  we  stood  by 
and  saw  our  captain  and  his  son  carried  off  to  be  hung 
or  burnt  or  what  not  by  the  Spaniards,  and  then  sailed 
home  to  tell  the  tale.  We  don't  mean  no  disrespect, 
captain,  I  says  again  ;  but  in  this  'ere  business  we  take 
our  orders  from  Mr.  Peters,  seeing  that  you  being  con- 
sarned,  as  it  were,  in  the  affair  ain't  to  be  considered  as 
having,  so  to  speak,  a  right  judgment  upon  it." 

"  Well,  well,  we  shall  see  if  there  is  a  chance  of 
making  a  successful  fight,"  Captain  Martin  said,  unable 
to  resist  a  smile  from  the  sailor's  way  of  putting  it. 

The  night  was  dark,  and  the  two  or  three  oil  lamps 
that  hung  suspended  from  some  of  the  houses  facing  the 
port  threw  no  ray  of  light  which  extended  to  the  ship- 
ping. It  was  diflficult  to  make  out  against  the  sky  the 
outline  of  the  masts  of  the  French  vessel  lying  some 
twenty  yards  away;  but  presently  Ned's  attention  was 
called  toward  her  by  a  slight  splash  of  her  cable.  Then 
he  heard  the  low  rumble  as  the  ropes  ran  out  through 
the  hawse-holes,  and  saw  that  the  masts  were  slowly 


6^  ST  PIKE  AlfD  DTKe. 

moving.  In  two  or  three  minutes  they  had  disappeared 
from  his  sight.     He  went  into  the  cabin. 

"  The  Frenchman  has  gone,  father ;  and  so  noiselessly 
that  I  could  hardly  hear  her.  If  we  can  get  out  as 
quietly  there  is  but  little  fear  of  our  being  noticed." 

"  We  cannot  be  as  quiet  as  that,  Ned.  She  has  only 
to  slack  away  her  cables  and  drift  with  the  tide  that 
turned  half  an  hour  ago,  we  have  got  to  tow  out  and  set 
sail.  However,  the  night  is  dark,  the  wind  is  off 
shore,  and  everything  is  in  our  favor.  Do  you  see  if 
there  be  any  one  about  on  the  decks  of  the  ships  above 
and  below  us." 

Ned  went  first  on  to  the  stern,  and  then  to  the  bow. 
He  could  hear  the  voices  of  men  talking  and  singing  in 
the  forecastles,  but  could  hear  no  movement  on  the 
deck  of  either  ship.  He  went  down  and  reported  to  his 
father. 

"  Then,  I  think,  we  may  as  well  start  at  once,  Ned. 
There  are  still  sounds  and  noises  in  the  town,  and  any 
noise  we  may  make  is  therefore  less  likely  to  be  noticed 
than  if  we  waited  until  everything  was  perfectly  still." 

The  sailors  were  all  ready.  All  were  barefooted  so 
as  to  move  as  noiselessly  as  possible.  The  four  small 
cannon  that  the  Good  Venture  carried  had  been  loaded 
to  the  muzzle  with  bullets  and  pieces  of  iron.  A  search 
had  been  made  below  and  several  heavy  lumps  of  stone, 
a  part  of  the  ballast  carried  on  some  former  occasion, 
brought  up  and  placed  at  intervals  along  the  bulwarks. 
The  pikes  had  been  fastened  by  a  loose  lashing  to  the 
mast,  and  the  axes  leaned  in  readiness  against  the 
cannon. 

"  Now,  Peters,"  Captain  Martin  said,  "  let  the  boat 
be  manned.  Do  you  send  a  man  ashore  .to  cast  off  the 
hawser  at  the  bow.     Let  him  take  a  line  ashore  with  him 


BT  PIKE  AND  DTEK  53 

80  as  to  ease  the  hawser  off  and  not  let  the  end  fall  in 
the  water.  The  moment  he  has  done  that  let  him  come 
to  the  stern  and  get  on  board  there,  and  do  you  and  he 
get  the  plank  on  board  as  noiselessly  as  you  can.  As 
soon  as  the  bow-hawser  is  on  board  I  will  give  the  men 
in  the  boat  the  word  to  row.  Ned  will  be  on  board  her, 
and  see  that  they  row  in  the  right  direction.  The  mo- 
ment you  have  got  the  plank  in  get  out  your  knife  and 
cut  the  stern  warp  half  through,  and  directly  her  head 
is  out,  and  you  feel  the  strain,  sever  it.  The  stern  is  so 
close  to  the  wharf  that  the  end  will  not  be  able  to  drop 
down  into  the  water  and  make  a  splash." 

Ned's  orders  were  that  as  soon  as  the  vessel's  head 
pointed  seaward  he  was  to  steer  rather  to  the  right,  so 
as  to  prevent  the  stream,  which,  however,  ran  but  feebly, 
from  cariying  her  down  on  to  the  bows  of  the  French 
ship.  Once  beyond  the  latter  he  was  to  go  straight  out, 
steering  by  the  lights  on  shore.  The  men  were  enjoined 
to  drop  their  oars  as  quietly  as  possible  into  the  water 
at  each  stroke,  and  to  row  deeply,  as  having  the  vessel 
in  tow  they  would  churn  up  the  water  unless  they  did 
so.  The  boat  rowed  off  a  stroke  or  two,  and  then,  as 
the  rope  tightened,  the  men  sat  quiet  until  Captain 
Martin  was  heard  to  give  the  order  to  row  in  a  low 
tone ;  then  they  bent  to  their  oars.  Peters  had  chosen 
the  six  best  rowers  on  board  the  ship  for  the  purpose, 
and  so  quietly  did  they  dip  their  oars  in  the  water  that 
Captain  Martin  could  scarce  hear  the  sound,  and  only 
knew  by  looking  ov^r  the  other  side,  and  seeing  that  the 
shore  was  receding,  that  the  ship  was  in  motion.  Two 
minutes  later  Peters  came  forward. 

"  I  have  cut  the  warp.  Captain  Martin,  and  she  is 
moving  out.  I  have  left  Watson  at  the  helm."  Scarce 
a  word  was  spoken  for  the  next  five  minutes,    It  was 


54  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

only  by  looking  at  the  light  ashore  that  they  could  judge 
the  progress  they  were  making.  Every  one  breathed 
more  freely  now  the  fii-st  danger  was  over.  They  had 
got  out  from  their  berth  without  attracting  the  slightest 
notice,  either  from  the  shore  or  from  the  ships  lying 
next  to  them.  Their  next  danger  was  from  the  ships 
lying  at  anchor  off  the  port  waiting  their  turn  to  come 
in.  Were  they  to  run  against  one  of  these,  the  sound 
of  the  collision,  and  perhaps  the  breaking  of  spars  and 
the  shouts  of  the  crew,  would  certainly  excite  attention 
from  the  sentries  on  shore. 

So  far  the  boat  had  been  rowing  but  a  short  distance 
in  advance  of  the  end  of  the  bowsprit,  but  Captain 
Martin  now  made  his  way  out  to  the  end  of  that  spar, 
and  told  Ned  that  he  was  going  to  give  him  a  good  deal 
more  rope  in  order  that  he  might  keep  well  ahead,  and 
that  he  was  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  craft  at  anchor. 
Another  quarter  of  an  hour  passed,  and  Captain  Martin 
thought  that  they  must  now  be  beyond  the  line  of  the 
outer  shipping.  They  felt  the  wind  more  now  that  they 
were  getting  beyond  the  shelter  of  the  town,  and  its 
effect  upon  the  hull  and  spars  made  the  work  lighter  for 
those  in  the  boat  ahead. 

*'  Now,  Peters,  I  think  that  we  can  safely  spread  the 
foresail  and  call  them  in  from  the  boat." 

The  sail  had  been  already  loosed  and  was  now  let  fall ; 
it  bellied  out  at  once. 

"  Haul  in  the  sheets,  lads,"  Captain  Martin  said,  and 
going  forward  gave  a  low  whistle.  A  minute  later  the 
boat  was  alongside.  "  Let  her  drop  astern,  Peters,  the 
captain  said,  as  Ned  and  the  rowers  clambered  on  board ; 
"  we  may  want  her  presently.  Hullo  !  what's  that  ? 
It's  one  of  the  guard-boats,  I  do  believe,  and  coming 
this  way."     Th^  men  heard  the  sound  of  coming  oars, 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  55 

and  silently  stole  to  the  mast  and  armed  themselves  with 
the  pikes,  put  the  axes  in  their  belts,  and  ranged  them- 
selves along  by  the  side  of  the  ship  toward  which  the 
boat  was  approaching.  "  Will  she  go  ahead  of  us  or 
astern  ?  "  Captain  Martin  whispered  to  the  mate. 

"I  cannot  tell  yet,  sir.  By  the  sound  she  seems 
making  pretty  nearly  straight  for  us." 

"  How  unfortunate,"  Captain  Martin  murmured ; 
"just  as  it  seemed  that  we  were  getting  safely  away." 

In  another  minute  the  mate  whispered,  "  She  will  go 
astern  of  us,  sir,  but  not  by  much." 

"  I  trust  that  she  will  not  see  us,"  the  captain  said. 
"  But  now  we  are  away  from  the  town  and  the  lights,  it 
doesn't  seem  so  dark,  besides  their  eyes  are  accustomed 
to  it." 

There  was  dead  silence  in  the  ship  as  the  boat  ap- 
proached. She  was  just  passing  the  stern  at  the  distance 
of  about  a  ship's  length,  when  there  was  a  sudden  excla- 
mation, and  a  voice  shouted,  "  What  ship  is  that? 
Where  are  you  going?"  Captain  Martin  replied  in 
Dutch,  "  We  are  taking  advantage  of  the  wind  to  make 
to  sea." 

"  Down  with  that  sail,  sir  I "  the  officer  shouted : 
"  this  is  against  all  regulations.  No  ship  is  permitted 
to  leave  the  port  between  sunrise  and  sunset.  Pull 
alongside,  lads  ;  there  is  something  strange  about  this  !  " 

"  Do  not  come  alongside,"  Captain  Martin  said  sternly. 
"We  are  peaceable  traders  who  meddle  with  no  one,  but 
if  you  interfere  with  us  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

"  You  insolent  hound  ! "  the  officer  exclaimed  furi- 
ously, "  do  you  dare  to  threaten  me.  Blow  your  matches, 
lads,  and  shoulder  your  arquebuses.  There  is  treason 
and  rebellion  here." 

Those  on  board  saw  six  tiny  sparks  appear,  two  in  the 


56  ^T  PIKE  AifD  BTKS. 

bow  and  four  in  the  stern.  A  minute  later  the  boat 
dashed  alongside.  As  it  did  so  three  great  pieces  of 
stone  were  cast  into  it,  knocking  down  two  of  the 
rowers. 

"  Fire ! "  the  officer  exclaimed  as  he  sprang  up  to 
climb  the  ship's  side.  The  six  muskets  were  discharged, 
and  the  men  rose  to  follow  their  leader,  when  there  was 
a  cry  from  the  rowers,  "  The  boat  is  sinking  1  She  is 
staved  in  1 " 

At  the  same  moment  the  officer  fell  back  thrust 
through  with  a  pike.  Two  of  the  soldiers  were  cut 
down  with  axes,  the  other  sprang  back  into  the  sinking 
boat,  which  at  once  drifted  astern. 

"  Up  with  her  sails,  lads !  "  Captain  Martin  shouted  ; 
"  it  is  a  question  of  speed  now.  The  alarm  is  spread 
on  shore  already."  The  sentries  on  the  various  batteries 
were  discharging  their  muskets  and  shouting,  and  the 
roll  of  a  drum  was  heard  almost  immediately.  The 
crew  soon  had  every  stitch  of  sail  set  upon  the  brig. 
She  was  moving  steadily  through  the  water;  but  the 
wind  was  still  light,  although  occasionally  a  stronger 
puff  gave  ground  for  hope  that  it  would  ere  long  blow 
harder. 

"  They  will  be  some  time  before  they  make  out  what 
it  is  all  about,  Peters,"  Captain  Martin  said.  "  The 
galleys  will  be  manned,  and  will  row  to  the  spot 
where  the  firing  was  heard.  Some  of  the  men  in  the 
boat  are  sure  to  be  able  to  swim,  and  will  meet  them  as 
they  come  out  and  tell  them  what  has  happened.  The 
worst  of  it  is,  the  moon  will  be  up  in  a  few  minutes. 
I  forgot  all  about  that.  That  accounts  for  its  being 
lighter.  However,  we  have  got  a  good  start.  One  or 
two  guard-boats  may  be  out  here  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
but  it  will  take  the  galleys  twice  as  long  to  gather  their 


BY  Piki:  AND  LYEW.  61 

Crews  and  get  out.  It  all  depends  on  the  wind.  It  is 
lucky  it  is  not  light  yet,  or  the  batteries  might  open  on 
us  ;  I  don't  think  now  they  will  get  sight  of  us  until  we 
are  fairly  out  of  range." 

Now  that  there  was  no  longer  occasion  for  silence  on 
board  the  Good  Venture,  the  crew  laughed  and  joked 
at  the  expense  of  the  Spaniards.  They  were  in  high 
spirits  at  their  success,  and  their  only  regret  was  that 
the  brush  with  their  pursuers  had  not  been  a  more  se- 
rious one.  It  was  evident  from  the  talk  that  there  was 
quite  as  much  hope  as  fear  in  the  glances  that  they  cast 
astern,  and  that  they  would  have  been  by  no  means 
sorry  to  see  a  foe  of  about  their  own  strength  in  hot 
pui-suit  of  them.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  shat- 
tered boat  had  dropped  astern  the  moon  rose  on  the 
starboard-bow.  It  was  three  quarters  full,  and  would 
assuredly  reveal  the  ship  to  those  on  shore.  Scarcely  in- 
deed did  it  show  above  the  horizon  when  there  was  the 
boom  of  a  gun  astern,  followed  a  second  or  two  later  by 
a  heavy  splash  in  the  water  close  alongside. 

"  That  was  a  good  shot,"  Captain  Martin  said  ;  "  but 
luck  rather  than  skill  I  fancy.  There  is  little  chance 
of  their  hitting  us  at  this  distance.  We  must  be  a 
mile  and  a  half  away ;  don't  you  think  so,  Peters  ?  " 

"  Quite  that,  captain ;  and  they  must  have  given 
their  gun  a  lot  of  elevation  to  carry  so  far.  I  almost 
wonder  they  wasted  their  powder." 

"  Of  course  they  can't  tell  in  the  least  who  they  are 
firing  at,"  the  captain  said.  "  They  cannot  have  learned 
anything  yet,  and  can  have  only  known  that  there 
was  firing  off  the  port,  and  that  a  craft  is  making  out. 
We  may  be  one  of  the  sea  beggars'  vessels  for  anything 
they  know,  and  may  have  come  in  to  carry  off  a  prize 
from  under  their  very  noses." 


68  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKS. 

"  That  is  so,"  the  mate  replied ;  *'  hut  fhe  gun  may 
have  been  fired  as  a  signal  as  much  as  with  any  hope 
of  hitting  us." 

"  So  it  may,  so  it  may,  Peters ;  I  did  not  think  of 
that.  Certainly  that  is  likely  enough.  We  know  they 
have  several  ships  cruising  in  the  Zuider-Zee  keeping 
a  lookout  for  the  beggars.  On  a  night  like  this,  and 
with  the  wind  astern,  the  sound  will  be  heard  miles 
away.  We  may  have  trouble  yet.  I  was  not  much 
afraid  of  the  galleys,  for  though  the  wind  is  so  light  we 
are  running  along  famously.  You  see  we  have  nothing 
in  our  hold  ;  and  that  is  all  in  our  favor  so  long  as  we 
are  dead  before  the  wind.  Besides,  if  the  galleys  did 
come  up  it  would  probably  be  singly,  and  we  should  be 
able  to  beat  them  off,  for  high  out  of  water  as  we  are 
they  would  find  it  difiicult  to  climb  the  sides;  but  if 
we  fall  in  with  any  of  their  ships  it  is  a  different  matter 
altogether." 

Four  or  five  more  shots  were  fired,  but  they  all  fell 
astern ;  and  as  they  were  fully  two  miles  and  a  half 
away  when  the  last  gun  was  discharged,  and  the  can- 
noneers must  have  known  that  they  were  far  out  of 
range,  Captain  Martin  felt  sure  that  the  mate's  idea 
was  a  correct  one,  and  that  the  cannon  had  been  dis- 
charged rather  as  a  signal  than  with  any  hope  of  reach- 
ing them. 

"Ned,  run  up  into  the  foretop,"  the  captain  said, 
"  and  keep  a  sharp  lookout  ahead.  The  moon  has  given 
an  advantage  to  those  who  are  on  our  track  behind, 
but  it  gives  us  an  advantage  as  against  any  craft  there 
may  be  ahead  of  us.  We  shall  see  them  long  before 
th^y  can  see  us." 

Peters  had  been  looking  astern  when  the  last  gun 
"was  fired,  and  said  that  by  its  flash  he  believed  that  he 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  59 

had  caught  sight  of  three  craft  of  some  kind  or  other 
outside  the  ships  moored  off  the  port. 

"  Then  we  have  two  miles'  start  if  those  are  their 
galleys,"  the  captain  said,  *■'  Ws  are  stealing  through 
the  water  at  about  the  rate  of  four  knots,  and  perhaps 
they  may  row  six,  so  it  will  take  them  an  hour  to  come 
up." 

"Rather  more  than  that,  I  should  say,  captain,  for 
the  wind  at  times  freshens  a  little.  It  is  likely  to  be 
an  hour  and  a  half  before  they  come  up." 

'•AH  the  better,  Peters.  They  will  have  learned 
from  those  thej  picked  up  from  that  boat  that  we  are 
not  a  large  craft,  and  that  our  crew  probably  does  not 
exceed  twenty  men ;  therefore,  as  those  galleys  carry 
about  twenty  soldiers  besides  the  twenty  rowers,  they 
will  not  think  it  necessary  to  keep  together,  but  will 
each  do  his  best  to  overtake  us,  one  of  them  is  sure  to 
be  faster  than  the  others,  and  if  they  come  up  singly 
I  think  we  shall  be  able  to  b'^at  them  off  handsomely. 
It  is  no  use  discussing  now  whether  it  is  wise  to  fight 
or  not.  By  sinking  that  first  boat  we  have  all  put  our 
heads  in  a  noose,  and  there  is  no  drawing  back.  We 
have  repulsed  their  officers  with  armed  force,  and  there 
will  be  no  mercy  for  any  of  us  if  we  fall  into  their 
hands." 

"  We  shall  fight  all  the  better  for  knowing  that," 
Peters  said  grimly.  "  The  Dutchmen  are  learning 
that,  as  the  Spaniards  are  finding  to  their  cost,  there  is 
nothing  like  making  a  man  fight  better  than  the  knowl- 
edge that  there  is  a  halter  waiting  for  him  if  he  is 
beaten." 

"  You  had  better  get  two  of  the  guns  astern,  Peters, 
so  as  to  fire  down  into  them  as  they  come  up.  You 
may  leave  the  others,  one  on  each  side,  for  the  present, 


60  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

and  run  one  of  them  over  when  you  see  which  side 
they  are  making  for.  Ah !  that's  a  nice  little  puff.  If 
it  would  but  hold  like  that  we  should  show  them  our 
heels  altogether." 

In  two  or  three  minutes  the  puff  died  out  and  the 
wjnd  fell  even  lighter  than  before. 

"  I  thought  that  we  were  going  to  have  more  of  it," 
the  captain  said  discontentedly ;  "it  looked  like  it  when 
the  sun  went  down." 

"  I  think  we  shall  have  more  before  morning,"  Petera 
agreed ;  "but  I  am  afraid  it  won't  come  in  time  to 
help  us  much." 

As  the  moon  rose  they  were  able  to  make  out  three 
craft  asfern  of  them.  Two  were  almost  abreast  of  each 
other,  the  third  some  little  distance  behind. 

"  That  is  just  what  I  expected,  Peters  ;  they  are 
making  a  race  of  it.  We  shall  have  two  of  them  on 
our  hands  at  once  ;  the  other  will  be  too  far  away  by  the 
time  they  come  up  to  give  them  any  assistance.  They 
are  about  a  mile  astern  now,  I  should  say,  and  unless  the 
wind  freshens  up  a  bit  they  will  be  alongside  in  about 
twenty  minutes.  I  will  give  you  three  men  here,  Peters. 
As  soon  as  we  have  fired,  load  again,  and  then  slew  the 
guns  round  and  run  them  forward  to  the  edge  of  the 
poop,  and  point  them  down  into  the  waist.  If  the 
Spaniards  get  on  board,  and  we  find  them  too  strong 
for  us,  those  of  us  who  can  will  take  to  the  forecastle, 
the  others  will  run  up  here.  Then  sweep  the  Spaniards 
with  your  guns,  and  directly  you  have  fired  charge 
down  among  them  with  pike  and  axe.  We  will  do  the 
same,  and  it  is  hard  if  we  do  not  clear  the  deck  of  them." 

Just  at  this  moment  Ned  hailed  them  from  the  top. 
"  There  is  a  ship  nearly  ahead  of  us,  sir ;  she  is  lying 
with  her  sails  brailed  up,  evidently  waiting." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  61 

"  How  far  is  she  off,  do  you  think,  Ned  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  she  is  four  miles  away,"  Ned  replied. 

"  Well,  we  need  not  trouble  about  her  for  the  present : 
there  will  be  time  to  think  about  her  when  we  have  fin- 
ished with  these  fellows  behind.  You  can  come  down 
now,  Ned." 

In  a  few  words  the  captain  now  explained  his  inten- 
tions to  his  men. 

"  I  hope,  lads,  that  we  shall  be  able  to  prevent  their 
getting  a  footing  on  the  deck ;  but  if  they  do,  and  we 
find  we  can't  beat  them  back,  as  soon  as  I  give  the  word 
you  are  to  take  either  to  the  forecastle  or  to  the  poop. 
Mr.  Peters  will  have  the  two  guns  there  ready  to  sweep 
them  with  bullets.  The  moment  he  has  fired  give  a 
cheer  and  rush  down  upon  them  from  both  sides.  We 
will  clear  them  off  again,  never  fear.  Ned,  you  will  be 
in  charge  in  the  waist  until  I  rejoin  you.  Get  ready  to 
run  one  of  the  guns  over  the  instant  I  tell  you  on  which 
side  they  are  coming  up.  Depress  them  as  much  as  you 
can.  I  shall  take  one  gun  and  you  take  the  other,  and 
be  sure  you  don't  fire  until  you  see  a  boat  well  under 
the  muzzle  of  your  gun.  Mind  it's  the  boat  you  are  to 
aim  at,  and  not  th.  men." 

Captain  Martin  again  ascended  to  the  poop  and  joined 
Peters.  The  two  boats  were  now  but  a  few  hundred 
yards  astern,  and  they  could  hear  the  officers  cheering 
on  the  rowers  to  exert  themselves  to  the  utmost.  The 
third  boat  was  fullj'^  a  quarter  of  a  mile  behind  the 
leaders.  When  they  approached  within  a  hundred  yards 
a  fire  of  musketry  was  opened. 

"  Lie  down  under  the  bulwarks,  men,"  Captain  Mar- 
tin said  to  the  three  sailors.  "  It  is  no  use  risking  your 
lives  unnecessarily.  I  expect  one  boat  will  come  one 
side  and  one  the  other,  Peters.    If  they  do  we  will 


62  BY  PIKE  AND  SfKE. 

both  take  the  one  coming  up  on  the  port  side.  One 
of  us  may  miss,  and  it  is  better  to  make  sure  of  one  boat 
if  we  can.  I  think  we  can  make  pretty  sure  of  beating 
off  the  other.  Yes,  there  they  are  separating.  Now 
work  your  gun  round  a  bit,  so  that  it  bears  on  a  point 
about  twenty  yards  astern  and  a  boat's  length  on  the  port 
side.     I  will  do  the  same.     Have  you  done  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  have  about  got  it,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  then.  Stoop  down  now,  or  we  may  get 
hit  before  it  is  time  to  fire." 

The  bulwarks  round  the  poop  were  only  about  a  foot 
high,  but  sitting  back  from  them  the  captain  and  the 
mate  were  protected  from  the  bullets  that  were  now 
singing  briskly  over  the  stern  of  the  ship. 

"  They  are  coming  up,  Peters,"  Captain  Martin  said. 
"  Now  kneel  up  and  look  along  your  gun  ;  get  your 
match  ready,  and  do  not  fire  till  you  see  right  into 
the  boat,  then  clap  on  your  match  whether  I  fire  or 
not." 

The  boat  came  racing  along  until  when  within  some 
twenty  yards  of  the  stern,  the  cannons  were  discharged 
almost  simultaneously.  The  sound  was  succeeded  by  a 
chorus  of  screams  and  yells  ;  the  contents  of  both  guns 
had  stfuck  the  boat  fairly  midships,  and  she  sank  almost 
instantly.  As  soon  as  they  had  fired.  Captain  Martin 
ran  forward  and  joined  the  crew  in  the  waist.  He  had 
already  passed  the  word  to  Ned  to  get  both  guns  over 
to  the  starboard  side,  and  he  at  once  took  charge  of  one 
while  Ned  stood  at  the  other.  The  Spaniards  had  pushed 
straight  on  without  waiting  to  pick  up  their  drowning 
comrades  in  the  other  boat,  and  in  a  minute  were  along- 
side. So  close  did  the  helmsman  bring  the  boat  to  the 
side  that  the  guns  could  not  be  depressed  so  as  to  bear 
upon  her,  and  a  moment  later  the  Spaniards  were  climb- 


BT  PISS  AND  DYKE.  68 

ing  up  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  the  rowers  dropping 
their  oars  and  seizing  axes  and  joining  the  soldiers. 

"  Never  mind  the  gun,  Ned ;  it  is  useless  at  present. 
Now,  lads,  drive  them  back  as  they  come  up." 

With  pike  and  hatchet  the  sailore  met  the  Spaniards 
as  they  tried  to  climb  up.  The  cook  had  brought  his 
caldron  of  boiling  water  to  the  bulwarks,  and  threw  pail- 
ful after  pailful  down  into  the  boat,  while  the  carpenter 
bailed  over  boiling  pitch  with  the  great  ladle.  Terrible 
yells  and  screams  rose  from  the  boat,  and  the  soldiers  in 
vain  tried  to  gain  a  footing  upon  the  ship's  deck.  As 
they  appeared  above  the  level  of  the  bulwarks  they 
were  met  either  with  thrust  of  pike  or  with  a  crashing 
blow  from  an  axe,  and  it  was  but  three  or  four  minutes 
from  the  moment  that  the  fight  began  that  the  boat 
cast  off  and  dropped  behind,  more  than  half  those  on 
board  being  killed  or  disabled.  A  loud  cheer  broke 
from  the  crew. 

"  Shall  I  run  the  guns  back  to  the  stern  again,"  Petera 
asked  from  above,  "  and  give  them  a  parting  dose?  " 

"  No,  no,"  Captain  Martin  said,  "  let  them  go,  Peters ; 
we  are  fighting  to  defend  ourselves,  and  have  done  them 
mischief  enough.  See  what  the  third  boat  is  doing, 
though." 

"  They  have  stopped  rowing,"  Peters  said,  after  go- 
ing to  the  stern.  "  I  think  they  are  picking  up  some 
swimmers  from  the  boat  we  sank.  There  cannot  be 
many  of  them,  for  most  of  the  rowers  would  have  been 
killed  by  our  discharges,  and  the  soldiers  in  their  armor 
will  have  sunk  at  once." 

Captain  Martin  now  ascended  to  the  poop.  In  a  short 
time  the  boat  joined  that  which  had  dropped  astern, 
which  was  lying  helpless  in  the  water,  no  attempt  hav- 
ing been  made  to  man  the  oars,  as  most  of  the  unwounded 


64  ^t  Pl^lS  AND  2)tK£!, 

men  were  scalded  more  or  less  severely.  Their  report 
was  evidently  not  encouraging,  and  the  third  boat  made 
no  attempt  to  pursue.  Some  of  her  oarsmen  were 
shifted  to  the  other  boat,  and  together  they  turned  and 
made  back  for  Amsterdam. 

"  Now  then  for  this  vessel  ahead,"  Captain  Martin 
said ;  "  that  is  a  much  more  serious  business  than  the 
boats." 

The  vessel,  which  was  some  two  miles  ahead  of  them, 
had  now  set  some  of  her  sails,  and  was  heading  toward 
them. 

"  They  can  make  us  out  now  plainly  enough,  Peters, 
and  the  firing  will  of  course  have  told  them  we  are  the 
vessel  that  they  are  in  search  of.  I  don't  think  that 
there  is  any  getting  away  from  them." 

"  I  don't  see  that  there  is,"  the  mate  agreed. 
"  Whichever  way  we  edged  off  they  could  cut  us  off. 
The  worst  of  it  is  no  doubt  she  has  got  some  big  guns 
on  board,  and  these  little  things  of  ours  are  of  no  good 
except  at  close  quarters.  It  would  be  no  use  trying  to 
make  a  running  fight  with  her  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least,  Peters.  We  had  better  sail  straight 
at  her." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  try  and  carry  her  by  boarding  ?  " 
Peters  asked  doubtfully.  "  She  looks  like  a  large  ship, 
and  has  perhaps  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  on  board ;  and 
though  the  Spaniards  are  no  sailors  they  can  fight  on 
the  decks  of  their  ships." 

"  That  is  so,  Peters.  What  I  think  of  doing  is  to 
bear  straight  down  upon  her  as  if  I  intended  to  board. 
We  shall  have  to  stand  one  broadside  as  we  come  up. 
And  then  we  shall  be  past  her,  and  with  our  light 
draught  we  should  run  right  away  from  her  with  this 
wind.     There  is  more  of  it  than  there  was,  and  we  are 


BY  PIKjE  and  dyke.  66 

slipping  away  fast.  Unless  she  happens  to  knock  away 
one  of  our  masts  we  shall  get  away  from  her." 

When  they  were  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Spanish 
ship  they  saw  her  bows  bear  off. 

"  Lie  down,  lads,"  the^  captain  ordered,  "  she  is  going 
to  give  us  a  broadside.  When  it  is  over  start  one  of 
those  sea-beggar  songs  you  picked  up  at  Brill ;  that 
will  startle  them,  and  they  will  think  we  are  crowded 
with  men  and  going  to  board  them." 

A  minute  later  eight  flashes  ef  fire  burst  from  the 
Spanish  ship,  now  lying  broadside  to  them.  One  shot 
crashed  through  the  bulwarks,  two  others  passed  through 
the  sails,  the  rest  went  wide  of  their  mark.  As  soon  as 
it  was  over  the  crew  leaped  to  their  feet  and  burst  into 
one  of  the  wild  songs  sung  by  the  sea-beggars. 

"  Keep  our  head  straight  toward  her,  Peters,"  Captain 
Martin  said.  "  They  will  think  we  mean  to  run  her 
down,  and  it  will  flurry  and  confuse  them." 

Loading  was  not  quick  work  in  those  days,  and  the 
distance  between  the  vessels  was  decreased  by  half  before 
the  guns  were  again  fired.  This  time  it  was  not  a  broad- 
side ;  the  guns  went  off  one  by  one  as  they  were  loaded, 
and  the  aim  was  hasty  and  inaccurate,  for  close  as  they 
were  not  a  shot  struck  the  hull  of  the  Good  Venture, 
though  two  or  three  went  through  the  sails.  In  the 
bright  moonlight  men  could  be  seen  running  about 
and  ofiicers  waving  their  arms  and  giving  orders  on 
board  the  Spaniard,  and  then  her  head  began  to  pay 
off. 

"  We  have  scared  them,"  Captain  Martin  laughed. 
"  They  thought  we  were  going  to  run  them  down.  They 
know  the  sea  beggars  would  be  quite  content  to  sink 
themselves  if  they  could  sink  an  enemy.  Follow  close 
in  her  wake,  Peters,  and  then  bear  off  a  little  as  if  you 
5 


66  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

meant  to  pass  them  on  their  starboard  side ;  then  when 
you  get  close  give  her  the  helm  sharp  and  sweep  across 
her  stern.  We  will  give  her  the  guns  as  we  pass,  then 
bear  off  again  and  pass  her  on  her  port  side  ;  the  chances 
are  they  will  not  have  loaded  again  there." 

The  Spanish  ship  was  little  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
ahead.  When  she  got  before  the  wind  again  Captain 
Martin  saw  with  satisfaction  that  the  Good  Venture 
sailed  three  feet  to  her  two.  The  poop  and  stern  gal- 
leries of  the  Spaniard  were  clustered  with  soldiers,  who 
opened  a  fire  with  their  muskets  upon  their  pursuer. 

The  men  were  all  lying  down  now  at  their  guns, 
which  were  loaded  with  musket  balls  to  their  muzzles. 

"  Elevate  them  as  much  as  you  can.  She  is  much 
higher  out  of  the  water  than  we  are.  Now,  Peters,  you 
see  to  the  guns,  I  will  take  the  helm." 

"  I  will  keep  the  helm,  sir,"  the  mate  replied. 

"No,  you  won't,  Peters ;  my  place  is  the  place  of 
danger.  But  if  you  can,  lie  under  the  bulwark  there 
after  you  have  fired,  and  be  ready  to  take  my  place  if 
you  see  me  drop.     Now,  lads,  get  ready." 

So  saying  the  captain  put  down  the  tiller.  The  Good 
Venture  swept  round  under  the  stern  of  the  Spaniard  at 
a  distance  of  some  forty  yards,  and  as  she  did  so  the 
guns  loaded  with  bullets  to  the  muzzle  were  fired  one 
after  the  other.  The  effect  was  terrible,  and  the  gal- 
leries and  poop  were  swept  by  the  leaden  shower.  Then 
the  captain  straightened  the  helm  again.  The  crew 
burst  into  the  wild  yells  and  cries  the  beggars  raised 
when  going  into  battle.  The  Spaniards,  confused  by 
the  terrible  slaughter  worked  by  the  guns  of  their  en- 
emies, and  believing  that  they  were  about  to  be  boarded 
on  the  port  side  by  a  crowd  of  desperate  foemen,  hastily 
put  up  the  tiller,  and  the  ship  bore  away  as  the  Good 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  67 

Venture  swept  up,  pjesenting  her  stern  instead  of  her 
broadside  to  them. 

To  the  momentary  relief  of  the  Spaniards  their  assail- 
ant instead  of  imitating  their  maneuvers  kept  straight 
upon  her  course  before  the  wind,  and  instead  of  the 
wild  cries  of  the  beggars  a  hearty  English  cheer  was 
raised.  As  Captain  Martin  had  expected,  the  guns  on 
the  port  side  had  not  been  reloaded  after  the  last  dis- 
charge, and  the  Good  Venture  was  two  or  three  hun- 
dred yards  away  before  the  Spaniards  recovered  from 
their  surprise  at  what  seemed  the  incomprehensible 
maneuvers  of  their  foes,  and  awoke  to  the  fact  that  they 
had  been  tricked,  and  that  instead  of  a  ship  crowded 
with  beggars  of  the  sea  their  supposed  assailant  had  been 
an  English  trader  that  was  trying  to  escape  from  them. 

A  dozen  contradictory  orders  were  shouted  as  soon 
as  the  truth  dawned  upon  them.  The  captain  had  been 
killed  by  the  discharge  of  grape,  and  the  first  lieutenant 
severely  wounded.  The  officer  in  command  of  the 
troops  shouted  to  his  men  to  load  the  guns,  only  to 
find  when  this  was  accomplished  that  the  second  lieu- 
tenant of  the  ship  had  turned  her  head  in  pursuit  of  the 
enemy,  and  that  not  a  single  gun  would  bear.  There 
was  a  sharp  altercation  between  the  two  authorities,  but 
the  military  chief  was  of  the  highest  rank. 

"  Don't  you  see,"  he  said  furiously,  "  that  she  is  going 
away  from  us  every  foot.  She  was  but  a  couple  of  hun- 
dred yards  away  when  I  gave  the  order  to  load,  and 
now  she  is  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile." 

"  If  I  put  the  helm  down  to  bring  her  broadside  on." 
the  seaman  said,  "  she  will  be  half  a  mile  ahead  before 
we  can  straighten  up  and  get  in  her  wake  again ;  and 
unless  you  happen  to  cripple  her  she  will  get  away  to 
a  certainty." 


68  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  She  will  get  away  anyhow,"  the  soldier  roared,  "  if 
we  don't  cripple  her.     Put  your  helm  down  instantly." 

The  order  was  given  and  the  ship's  head  swayed 
•  round.  Tliere  was  a  flapping  of  sails  and  a  rattling  of 
blocks,  and  then  a  broadside  was  fired ;  but  it  is  no 
easy  matter  for  angry  and  excited  men  to  hit  a  mast  at 
the  distance  of  nearly  half  a  mile.  One  of  the  shots 
plowed  up  the  deck  within  a  yard  of  the  foot  of  the 
mainmast,  another  splintered  a  boat,  three  others  added 
to  the  holes  in  the  sails,  but  no  damage  of  importance 
was  done.  By  the  time  the  Spaniard  had  borne  round 
and  was  again  in  chase,  the  Good  Venture  was  over 
half  a  mile  ahead. 

"  It  is  all  over  now,  captain,"  Peters  said  as  he  went 
aft.  "  Unless  we  light  upon  another  of  these  fellows, 
which  is  not  likely,  we  are  safe." 

"  Are  any  of  the  men  hit,  Peters  ?  " 

"  The  carpenter  was  knocked  down  and  stunned  by 
a  splinter  from  the  boat,  sir ;  but  I  don't  think  it  is 
serious." 

"Thank  God  for  that,"  the  captain  said.  "Now, 
will  you  take  the  helm  ?  "  There  was  something  in 
the  voice  that  startled  the  mate. 

"  Is  anything  the  matter,  sir  ?  Don't  say  you  are 
hit." 

"  I  am  hit,  Peters,  and  I  fear  rather  badly  ;  but  that 
matters  little  now  that  the  crew  and  ship  are  safe." 

Peters  caught  the  captain,  for  he  saw  that  he  could 
scarce  stand,  and  called  two  men  to  his  assistance.  The 
captain  was  laid  down  on  the  deck. 

"  Where  are  you  hit,  sir  ?  " 

"  Halfway  between  the  knee  and  the  hip,"  Captain 
Martin  replied  faintly.  "If  it  hadn't  been  for  the  tiller 
X  should  haye  fallen,  but  with  th^  aid  of  that  I  paado 


ST  PIKE  ANh  BTKE.  69 

shift  to  stand  on  the  other  leg.  It  was  just  before  we 
fired,  at  the  moment  when  I  put  the  helm  down." 

"  Why  didn't  you  call  me  ?  "  Peters  said  reproach- 
fully. 

"  It  was  of  no  good  getting  two  of  us  hit,  Peters  ; 
and  as  long  as  I  could  stand  to  steer  I  was  better  there 
than  you." 

Ned  came  running  aft  as  the  news  was  passed  along 
that  the  captain  was  wounded,  and  threw  himself  on 
his  knees  by  his  father's  side. 

"  Bear  up,  Ned ;  bear  up  like  a  man,"  his  father  said. 
"  I  am  hit  hard,  but  I  don't  know  that  it  is  to  death. 
But  even  if  it  is,  it  is  ten  thousand  times  better  to  die 
in  battle  with  the  Spaniards  than  to  be  hung  like  a  dog, 
which  would  have  befallen  me  and  perhaps  all  of  us  if 
they  had  taken  us." 

By  Peters'  directions  a  mattress  was  now  brought  up, 
and  the  captain  carried  down  to  his  cabin.  There  was 
no  thought  on  board  now  of  the  pursuers  astern,  or  of 
possible  danger  lying  ahead.  The  news  that  Captain 
Martin  was  badly  wounded  damped  all  the  feelings  of 
triumph  and  enthusiasm  which  the  crew  had  before 
been  feeling  at  the  success  with  which  they  had  eluded 
the  Spaniard  while  heavily  punishing  her.  As  soon  as 
the  captain  was  laid  on  a  sofa  Peters  examined  the 
wound.  It  was  right  in  front  of  the  leg,  some  four 
inches  above  the  knee. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  be  done  for  it,"  Captain  Martin 
said.     "  It  has  smashed  the  bone,  I  am  sure." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  has,  captain,"  Peters  said  ruefully  ; 
"  and  it  is  no  use  my  saying  that  it  has  not.  I  think, 
sir,  we  had  best  put  in  at  Enkhuizen.  We  are  not 
above  four  or  five  miles  from  it  now,  and  we  shall  find 
surgeons  there  who  will  do  all  they  can  for  you." 


70  ST  Pi:^E  AND  DYK^. 

"  I  think  that  will  be  the  best  plan,  Peters." 

The  orders  were  given  at  once,  and  the  ship*s  course 

altered,  and  half  an  hour  later  the  lights  of  Enkhuizeu 

were  seen  ahead. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DTKK  71 


CHAPTER  rV. 

"WOUNDED. 

They  dropped  anchor  a  short  distance  off  the  port, 
and  then  lit  some  torches  and  waved  them. 

"  The  firing  is  sure  to  have  been  heard,"  Peters  said, 
"  and  they  will  be  sending  off  to  know  what  is  going 
on,  otherwise  there  would  have  been  small  chance  of 
getting  in  to-night." 

As  the  mate  anticipated,  the  sound  of  oars  was  soon 
heard,  and  a  large  boat  rowed  out  toward  them.  It 
stopped  at  a  distance  of  a  hundred  yards,  and  there  was 
a  shout  of  "  What  ship  is  that  ?  " 

"  The  English  brig  Good  Venture.  We  pray  you  to 
allow  us  to  bring  our  captain,  who  has  been  sorely 
wounded  by  the  Spaniards,  on  shore." 

"  What  has  been  the  firing  we  have  heard  ?  We  could 
see  the  flashes  across  the  water." 

"  We  have  been  twice  engaged,"  Peters  shouted ; 
"  first  with  two  Spanish  galleys,  and  then  with  a  large 
ship  of  war,  which  we  beat  off  with  heavy  loss." 

"  Well  done.  Englishman  !  "  the  voice  exclaimed,  and 
the  boat  at  once  rowed  out  to  the  brig.  "  You  cannot 
come  in  to-night,"  the  Dutch  official  said,  "  for  the  chain 
is  up  across  the  harbor,  and  the  rule  is  imperative  and 
without  exception  ;  but  I  will  gladly  take  your  captain 
on  shore,  and  he  shall  have,  I  promise  you,  the  best 
surgical  aid  the  town  can  give  him.  Is  he  the  only  one 
hurt?" 


72  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

"  One  of  the  men  has  been  injured  with  a  splinter, 
but  he  needs  but  bandaging  and  laying  up  for  a  few 
days.  We  have  had  a  shot  or  two  through  our  bulwarks, 
and  the  sails  are  riddled.  The  captain's  son  is  below 
with  him  ;  he  acts  as  second  mate,  and  will  tell  you  all 
about  this  affair  into  which  we  were  forced." 

"  Very  well ;  we  will  take  him  ashore  with  us  then. 
There  is  quite  an  excitement  there.  The  news  that  a 
sea-fight  was  going  -on  brought  all  the  citizens  to  the 
walls." 

The  mattress  upon  which  Captain  Martin  was  lying 
was  brought  out  and  lowered  carefully  into  the  stern  of 
the  boat.  Ned  took  his  seat  beside  it,  and  the  boat 
pushed  off.  Having  passed  the  forts  they  entered  the 
port  and  rowed  to  the  landing-place.  A  number  of 
citizens,  many  of  them  carrying  torches,  were  assembled 
here.  "  What  is  the  news  ?  "  a  voice  asked  as  the  boat 
approached. 

"  It  is  an  English  ship,  burgomaster.  She  has  been 
hotly  engaged;  first  with  Spanish  galleys,  and  then 
with  a  war-ship,  which  was  doubtless  the  one  seen  beat- 
ing up  this  afternoon.  She  sank  one  of  the  galleys  and 
beat  off  the  ship."  A  loud  cheer  broke  from  the  crowd. 
When  it  subsided  the  official  went  on :  "I  have  the 
English  captain  and  his  son  on  board.  The  captain  is 
sorely  wounded,  and  I  have  promised  him  the  best 
medical  aid  the  town  can  give  him." 

"  That  he  shall  have,"  the  burgomaster  said.  "  Let 
him  be  carried  to  my  house  at  once.  Hans  Leipart,  do 
you  hurry  on  and  tell  my  wife  to  get  a  chamber  pre- 
jiared  instantly.  You  have  heard  who  it  is,  and  why  he 
is  coming,  and  I  warrant  me  she  will  do  her  best  to  make 
the  brave  Englishman  comfortable.  Do  two  others  of 
you  run  to  Doctors  Zobel  and  Harreng,  and  pray  them 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  73 

to  hasten  to  my  house.  Let  a  stretcher  be  fetched 
instantly  from  the  town  hall." 

As  soon  as  the  stretcher  was  brought  the  mattress  was 
placed  on  it,  and  six  of  the  sailors  carried  it  on  shore. 
The  crowd  had  by  this  time  greatly  increased,  for  the 
news  had  rapidly  spread.  Every  head  was  bared  in 
token  of  sympathy  and  respect  as  the  litter  was  brought 
up.  The  crowd  fell  back  and  formed  a  lane,  and,  led 
by  the  burgomaster,  the  sailors  carried  the  wounded 
man  into  the  town.  He  was  taken  upstairs  to  the  room 
prepared  for  him,  and  the  surgeons  were  speedily  in 
attendance.  Medicine  in  those  days  was  but  a  primitive 
science,  but  the  surgery,  though  rough  and  rude,  was 
far  ahead  of  the  sister  art.  Wars  were  of  such  constant 
occurrence  that  surgeons  had  ample  opportunity  for 
practice ;  and  simple  operations,  such  as  the  amputation 
of  limbs,  were  matters  of  very  common  occurrence. 
It  needed  but  a  very  short  examination  by  the  two 
surgeons  to  enable  them  to  declare  that  the  leg  must 
at  once  be  amputated. 

"  The  bone  appears  to  be  completely  smashed,"  one 
of  them  said.  "  Doubtless  the  ball  was  fired  at  a  very 
short  distance."  A  groan  burst  from  Ned  when  he 
heard  the  decision. 

"  I  knew  that  it  would  be  so,  Ned,"  his  father  said. 
"  I  never  doubted  it  for  a  moment.  It  is  well  that  I 
have  been  able  to  obtain  aid  so  speedily.  Better  a  limb 
than  life,  my  boy.  I  did  not  wince  when  I  was  hit,  and 
with  God's  help  I  can  stand  the  pain  now.  Do  you  go 
away  and  tell  the  burgomaster  how  it  all  came  about, 
and  leave  me  with  these  gentlemen." 

As  soon  as  Ned  had  left  the  room,  sobbing  in  spite  of 
his  efforts  to  appear  manly,  the  captain  said  :  "  Now, 
gentlemen,  since  this  must  be  done,  I  pray  you  to  do  it 


74  BY  PlRE  AND  DYKE. 

without  loss  of  time.  I  will  bear  it  as  best  I  can,  I 
promise  you  ;  and  as  three  or  four  and  twenty  years  at 
sea  makes  a  man  pretty  hard  and  accustomed  to  rough 
usage,  I  expect  I  shall  stand  it  as  well  as  another." 

The  surgeons  agreed  that  there  was  no  advantage  in 
delay,  and  indeed  that  it  was  far  better  to  amputate  it 
before  fever  set  in.  They  therefore  returned  home  at 
once  for  their  instruments,  the  knives  and  saws,  the 
irons  that  were  to  be  heated  white-hot  to  stop  the  bleed- 
ing, and  the  other  appliances  in  use  at  the  time.  Had 
Ned  been  aware  that  the  operation  would  have  taken 
place  so  soon,  he  would  have  been  unable  to  satisfy  the 
curiosity  of  the  burgomaster  and  citizens  to  know  how 
it  had  happened  that  an  English  trader  had  come  to 
blows  with  the  Spaniards  ;  but  he  had  no  idea  that  it 
would  take  place  that  night,  and  thought  that  probably 
some  days  would  elapse  before  the  surgeons  finally  de- 
cided that  it  was  necessary  to  amputate  it. 

One  of  the  surgeons  had,  at  the  captain's  request, 
called  the  burgomaster  aside  as  he  left  the  house,  and 
begged  him  to  keep  the  lad  engaged  in  conversation 
until  he  heard  from  him  that  all  was  over.  This  the 
burgomaster  Mdllingly  promised  to  do ;  and  as  many  of 
the  leading  citizens  were  assembled  in  the  parlor  to 
hear  the  news,  there  was  no  chance  of  Ned's  slipping 
away. 

"  Before  you  begin  to  tell  us  your  story,  young  sir, 
we  should  be  glad  to  know  how  it  is  that  you  speak  our 
language  so  well ;  for  indeed  we  could  not  tell  by  your 
accent  that  you  are  not  a  native  of  these  parts,  which  is 
of  course  impossible,  seeing  that  your  father  is  an 
Englishman  and  captain  of  the  ship  lying  off  there." 

"  My  mother  comes  from  near  here,"  Ned  said.  "  She 
is  the  daughter  of  Mynheer  Plomaert,  who  lived   at 


^  £F  PIKS  AND  DYKE.  16 

Vordwyi.,  two  miles  from  Amsterdam.  She  went  over 
to  England  when  she  married  my  father,  but  when  he 
was  away  ol  his  voyages  she  always  spoke  her  own 
language  to  us  children,  so  that  we  grew  to  speak  it 
naturally  as  we  did  English." 

Ned  then  related  the  news  that  met  them  on  their 
arrival  at  his  grandfather's  home,  and  the  exclamation 
of  fury  on  the  part  of  his  father. 

"  It  is  a  common  enough  story  with  us  here,"  the 
burgomaster  said,  "  for  few  of  us  but  have  lost  friends 
or  relatives  at  the  hands  of  these  murderous  tyrants  of 
ours.  But  to  you,  living  in  a  free  land,  truly  it  must 
have  been  a  dreadful  shock;  and  I  wonder  not  that 
your  father's  indignation  betrayed  him  into  words 
which,  if  overheard,  might  well  cost  a  man  his  life  in 
this  country." 

"  They  were  overheard  and  reported,"  Ned  said  ;  and 
then  proceeded  to  relate  the  warning  they  had  received,  - 
the  measures  they  had  taken  to  get  off  unperceived,  the 
accidental  meeting  with  the  guard-boat  and  the  way  in 
which  it  had  been  sunk,  the  pursuit  by  the  galleys  and 
the  fight  with  them,  and  then  the  encounter  with  the 
Spanish  ship  of  war. 

"  And  you  say  your  father  never  relaxed  his  hold  of 
the  tiller  when  struck  I "  the  burgomaster  said  in  sur- 
prise. "  I  should  have  thought  he  must  needs  have 
fallen  headlong  to  the  ground." 

"  He  told  me,"  Ned  replied,  "  that  at  the  moment  he 
was  hit  he  was  pushing  over  the  tiller,  and  had  his  weight 
partly  on  that  and  partly  on  his  other  leg.  Had  it  been 
otherwise  he  would  of  coui-se  have  gone  down,  for  he 
said  that  for  a  moment  he  thought  his  leg  had  been  shot 
ofe." 

When  Ned  finished  his  narrative  the  burgomaster  and 


76  ^T  PIKE  AND  DYKS, 

magistrates  were  loud  in  their  exclamations  o/  admira- 
tion at  the  manner  in  which  the  little  trade)  had  both 
fought  and  deceived  her  powerful  opponent. 

"  It  was  gallantly  done  indeed,"  the  burgomaster  said. 
"  Truly  it  seems  marvelous  that  a  little  ship  with  but 
twenty  hands  should  have  fought  and  got  safely  away 
from  the  Don  Pedro,  for  that  was  the  ship  we  saw  pass 
this  afternoon.  We  know  her  well,  for  she  has  often 
been  in  port  here  before  we  declared  for  the  Prince  of 
Orange  a  month  ago.  The  beggars  of  the  sea  themselves 
could  not  have  done  better — could  they,  my  friends  ? 
though  we  Dutchmen  and  Zeelanders  believe  that  there 
are  no  sailors  that  can  match  our  own." 

The  story  had  taken  nearly  iin  hour  to  tell,  and  Ned 
now  said : 

"  With  your  permission,  sir,  I  will  now  go  up  to  my 
father  again." 

"  You  had  best  not  go  for  the  present,"  the  burgo- 
master said.  "  The  doctor  asked  me  to  keep  you  with 
me  for  awhile,  for  that  he  wished  his  patient  to  be 
entirely  undisturbed.  He  is  by  his  bedside  now,  and 
will  let  me  know  at  once  if  your  father  wishes  to  have 
you  with  him." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  a  servant  called  the  burgo- 
master out.     The  surgeon  was  waiting  outside. 

"  It  is  finished,"  he  said,  "  and  he  has  borne  it  well. 
Scarce  a  groan  escaped  him,  even  when  we  applied  the 
hot  irons  ;  but  he  is  utterly  exhausted  now,  and  we  have 
given  him  an  opiate  and  hope  that  he  will  soon  drop  off 
to  sleep.  My  colleague  will  remain  with  him  for  four 
hours,  and  then  I  will  return  and  take  his  place.  You 
had  best  say  nothing  to  the  lad  about  it.  He  would 
naturally  want  to  see  his  father ;  we  would  much  rather 
that  he  should  not.     Therefore  tell  him,  please,  that  his 


Ir  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  7? 

father  is  dropping  off  to  sleep,  and  must  not  on  any  ac- 
count be  disturbed  ;  and  that  we  are  sitting  up  with  him 
by  turns,  and  will  let  him  know  at  once  should  there  be 
any  occasion  for  his  presence." 

Ned  was  glad  to  hear  that  his  father  was  likely  to  get 
off  to  sleep  ;  and  although  he  would  gladly  have  sat  up 
with  him,  he  knew  that  it  was  much  better  that  he 
should  have  the  surgeon  beside  him.  The  burgomaster's 
wife,  a  kind  and  motherly  woman,  took  him  aside  into 
a  little  parlor,  where  a  table  was  laid  with  a  cold  capon, 
some  manchets  of  bread,  and  a  flask  of  the  burgomaster's 
best  wine.  As  Ned  had  eaten  nothing  since  the  after- 
noon, and  it  was  now  past  midnight,  he  was  by  no  means 
sorry  to  partake  of  some  refreshment.  When  he  had 
finished  he  was  conducted  to  a  comfortable  little 
chamber  that  had  been  prepared  for  him,  and  in  spite  of 
his  anxiety  about  his  father  it  was  not  long  before  he 
fell  asleep. 

The  sun  was  high  before  he  awoke.  He  dressed  him- 
self quickly  and  went  downstairs,  for  he  feared  to  go 
straight  to  his  father's  room  lest  he  might  be  sleeping. 

"  You  have  slept  well,"  the  burgomaster's  wife  said 
with  a  smile  ;  "  and  no  wonder,  after  your  fatigues. 
The  surgeon  has  just  gone,  and  I  was  about  to  send  up 
to  wake  you,  for  he  told  me  to  tell  you  that  your  father 
had  passed  a  good  night,  and  that  you  can  now  see 
him." 

Ned  ran  upstairs,  and  turning  the  handle  of  the  door 
very  quietly  entered  his  father's  room.  Captain  Martin 
was  looking  very  pale,  but  Ned  thought  that  his  face 
had  not  the  drawn  look  that  had  marked  it  the  evening 
before. 

"  How  are  you,  my  dear  father?  " 

"  I  am  g^oing  on  well,  Ned  ;  at  least  so  the.  doctors 


78  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

say.  I  feel  I  shall  be  but  a  battered  old  hulk  when  T 
get  about  again  ;  but  your  mother  will  not  mind  that, 
I  know." 

"  And  do  the  doctors  still  think  that  they  must  take 
the  leg  off  ?  "  Ned  asked  hesitatingly. 

"  That  was  their  opinion  last  night,  Ned,  and  it  was 
my  opinion  too  ;  and  so  the  matter  was  done  off  hand, 
and  there  is  an  end  of  it." 

"  Done  off  hand  ?  "  Ned  repeated.  "  Do  you  mean — " 
and  he  hesitated. 

"  Do  I  mean  that  they  have  taken  it  off  ?  Certainly 
I  do,  Ned.  They  took  it  off  last  night  while  you  were 
downstairs  in  the  burgomaster's  parlor ;  but  I  thought 
it  would  be  much  better  for  you  not  to  know  anything 
about  it  until  this  morning.  Yes,  my  boy,  thank  God, 
it  is  all  over  !  I  don't  say  that  it  wasn't  pretty  hard  to 
bear  ;  but  it  had  to  be  done,  you  know,  and  the  sooner 
it  was  over  the  better.  There  is  nothing  worse  than 
lying  thinking  about  a  thing." 

Ned  was  too  affected  to  speak ;  but  with  tears  stream- 
ing down  his  cheeks,  leaned  over  and  kissed  his  father. 
The  news  had  come  as  a  shock  to  him,  but  it  seemed  to 
have  lifted  a  weight  from  his  mind.  The  worst  was 
over  now ;  and  although  it  was  terrible  to  think  that  his 
father  had  lost  his  leg,  still  this  seemed  a  minor  evil 
after  the  fear  that,  perhaps  his  life  might  be  sacrificed. 
Knowing  that  his  father  should  not  be  excited,  or  even 
talk  more  than  was  absolutely  necessary,  Ned  stayed  but 
a  few  minutes  with  him,  and  then  hurried  off  to  the  ship, 
where,  however,  he  found  that  the  news  that  the  cap- 
tain's leg  had  been  amputated,  and  that  the  doctors 
hoped  that  he  would  go  on  well,  had  been  known  some 
hours  before ;  as  Peters  had  come  on  shore  with  the 
first  dawn  of  daylight  for  news,  and  heard  from  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  79 

burgomaster's  servant  that  the  amputation  had  taken 
place  the  evening  before,  and  an  hour  later  had  learned 
from  the  lips  of  the  doctor  who  had  been  watching  by 
the  captain's  bedside,  that  he  had  passed  a  fairly  good 
night,  and  might  so  far  be  considered  to  be  doing  well. 

"  What  do  you  think  we  had  better  do.  Master  Ned  ? 
Of  course  it  will  be  for  the  captain  to  decide ;  but  in 
these  matters  it  is  always  best  to  take  counsel  beforehand. 
For  although  it  is,  of  course,  what  he  thinks  in  the 
matter  will  be  done,  still  it  may  be  that  we  might  direct 
his  thoughts ;  and  the  less  thinking  he  does  in  his  present 
state  the  better." 

"  What  do  you  mean  as  to  what  is  to  be  done,  Peters  ?  " 

"  Well,  your  father  is  like  to  be  here  many  weeks  ; 
indeed,  if  I  said  many  months  I  don't  suppose  it  would 
be  far  from  the  truth.  Things  never  go  on  quite  smooth. 
There  are  sure  to  be  inflammations,  and  fever  keeps  on 
coming  and  going ;  and  if  the  doctor  says  three  months, 
like  enough  it  is  six." 

"  Of  course  I  shall  stay  here  and  nurse  him,  Peters." 

"  Well,  Master  Ned,  that  will  be  one  of  the  points  for 
the  captain  to  settle.  I  do  not  suppose  he  will  want 
the  Good  Venture  to  be  lying  idle  all  the  time  he  is  laid 
up  ;  and  though  I  can  sail  the  ship,  the  trading  business 
is  altogether  out  of  my  line.  You  know  all  the  mer- 
chants he  does  business  with,  going  ashore,  as  you  most 
always  do  with  him  ;  I  doubt  not  that  you  could  fill  his 
place  and  deal  with  them  just  the  same  as  if  he  was 
here." 

"  But  I  cannot  leave  him  at  present." 

"No,  no,  Master  Ned;  no  one  would  think  of  it. 
Now,  what  I  have  been  turning  over  in  my  mind  is, 
that  the  best  thing  for  the  captain  and  for  you  and  your 
good  mother  is  that  I  should  set  sail  in  the  Venture  with- 


80  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

out  the  loss  of  a  day  and  fetch  her  over.  If  the  wind  is 
reasonable,  and  we  have  good  luck,  we  may  be  back  in  ten 
days  or  so.  By  that  time  the  captain  may  be  well 
enough  to  think  where  we  had  better  go  for  a  cargo,  and 
what  course  had  best  be  taken  about  things  in  general." 

"  I  think  that  would  certainly  be  the  best  plan,  Petere.; 
and  I  will  suggest  it  to  my  father  at  once.  He  is  much 
more  likely  to  go  on  well  if  my  mother  is  with  him,  and 
she  would  be  worrying  sadly  at  home  were  she  not  by 
his  side.  Besides,  it  will  be  well  for  her  to  have  some- 
thing to  occupy  her,  for  the  news  of  what  has  befallen 
her  father  and  brothers  will  be  a  terrible  blow  to  her. 
If  I  put  it  in  that  way  to  him  I  doubt  not  that  he  will 
agree  to  the  plan ;  otherwise,  he  might  fear  to  bring  her 
out  here  in  such  troubled  times,  for  there  is  no  saying 
when  the  Spaniards  will  gather  their  army  to  recover 
the  revolted  cities,  or  against  which  they  will  first  make 
their  attempts.  I  will  go  back  at  once,  and  if  he  be 
awake  I  will  tell  him  that  you  and  I  agree  that  it  will 
be  best  for  you  to  sail  without  loss  of  an  hour  to  fetch 
my  mother  over,  and  that  w'e  can  then  put  off  talking 
about  other  matters  until  the  ship  returns." 

Ned  at  once  went  back  to  his  father's  bedroom.  He 
found  the  captain  had  just  awoke  from  a  short  sleep. 

"  Father,  I  do  not  want  to  trouble  you  to  think  at 
present,  but  will  tell  you  what  Master  Peters  and  I, 
who  have  been  laying  our  heads  together,  concluded  is 
best  to  be  done.  You  are  likely  to  be  laid  up  here  for 
some  time,  and  it  will  be  far  the  best  plan  for  the  Good 
Venture  to  sail  over  and  fetch  mother  to  nurse  you." 

"  I  shall  get  on  well  enough,  Ned.  They  are  kindly 
people  here  ;  and  regarding  our  fight  with  the  Spaniards 
as  a  sign  of  our  friendship  and  good-will  toward  them, 
they  will  do  all  in  their  power  for  me." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  81 

"  Yes,  father,  I  hope,  indeed,  that  you  will  go  on  well ; 
and  I  am  sure  that  the  good  people  here  will  do  their 
best  in  all  ways  for  you,  and  of  course  I  will  nurse  you 
to  the  best  of  my  power,  though,  indeed,  this  is  new 
work  for  me ;  but  it  was  not  so  much  you  as  mother 
that  we  were  thinking  of.  It  will  be  terrible  for  her 
when  the  news  comes  that  her  father  and  brothers  are 
all  killed,  and  that  you  are  lying  here  sorely  wounded. 
It  will  be  well-nigh  enough  to  drive  her  distraught. 
But  if  she  were  to  come  over  here  at  once  she  would, 
while  busying  about  you,  have  less  time  to  brood  over 
her  griefs ;  and,  indeed,  I  see  not  why  she  should  be 
told  what  has  happened  at  Vordwyk  until  she  is  here 
with  you,  and  you  can  break  it  to  her.  It  will  come 
better  from  your  lips,  and  for  your  sake  she  will  re- 
strain her  grief." 

"  There  is  a  great  deal  in  what  you  say,  Ned,  and,  in- 
deed, I  long  greatly  to  have  her  with  me  ;  but  Holland 
is  no  place  at  present  to  bring  a  woman  to,  and  I  sup- 
pose also  that  she  would  bring  the  girls,  for  she  could 
not  well  leave  them  in  a  house  alone.  There  are  plenty 
of  friends  there  who  would  be  glad  to  take  them  in  ; 
but  that  she  could  decide  upon  herself.  However,  as 
she  is  a  native  here  she  will  probably  consider  she  may 
well  run  the  same  risks  as  the  rest  of  our  countrywomen. 
They  remain  with  their  fathers  and  husbands  and  en- 
dure what  perils  there  may  be,  and  she  will  see  no  reason 
why  she  should  not  do  the  same." 

"  What  we  propose  is  that  the  Venture  should  set  sail 
at  once  and  fetch  my  mother  over,  and  the  girls,  if  she 
sees  fit  to  bring  them.  I  shall  of  course  stay  here  with 
you  until  the  brig  returns,  and  by  that  time  you  will,  I 
hope,  be  strong  enough  to  talk  over  what  had  best  be 
done  regarding  the  ship  and  business  generally." 
6 


82  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  Well,  have  your  way,  Ned.  At  present  I  cannot 
think  over  things  and  see  what  is  best ;  so  I  will  leave 
the  matter  in  your  hands,  and  truly  I  should  be  glad  in- 
deed to  have  your  mother  here  with  me." 

Well  content  to  have  obtained  the  permission  Ned 
hurried  from  the  room. 

"  Has  the  burgomaster  returned  ?  "  he  asked  when  he 
reached  the  lower  story. 

"  He  has  just  come  in,  and  I  was  coming  up  to  tell  you 
that  dinner  is  served." 

"  Is  it  eleven  o'clock  already  ?  "  Ned  exclaimed.  "  I 
had  no  idea  it  was  so  late."  He  entered  the  room  and 
bowed  to  the  burgomaster  and  his  wife. 

"  Worshipful  sir,"  he  said,  "  I  have  just  obtained  leave 
from  my  father  to  send  our  ship  off  to  London  to  fetch 
hither  my  mother  to  come  to  nui-se  him.  I  trust  that 
by  the  time  she  arrives  he  will  be  able  to  be  moved,  and 
then  they  will  take  lodgings  elsewhere,  so  as  not  to  tres- 
pass longer  upon  your  great  kindness  and  hospitality." 

"  I  think  that  it  is  well  that  your  mother  should  come 
over,"  the  burgomaster  said  ;  "  for  a  man  who  has  had 
the  greater  part  of  his  leg  taken  off  cannot  be  expected 
to  get  round  quickly.  Besides,  after  what  you  told  us 
last  night  about  the  misfortune  that  has  befallen  her 
family  it  were  best  that  she  sliould  be  busied  about  her 
husband,  and  so  have  little  time  to  brood  over  the  mat- 
ter. As  to  hospitality,  it  would  be  strange  indeed  if  we 
should  not  do  all  that  we  could  for  a  brave  man  who  has 
been  injured  in  fighting  our  common  enemy.  Send 
word  to  your  mother  that  she  will  be  as  welcome  as  he 
is,  and  that  we  shall  be  ready  in  all  respects  to  arrange 
whatever  she  may  think  most  convenient  and  comfort- 
able. And  now  you  had  best  sit  down  and  have  your 
meal  with  us.    As  soon  as  it  is  over  I  will  go  down  with 


Sr  PIKS  A^Ub  t)TK&  83 

you  to  the  wharf,  and  will  do  what  I  can  to  hasten  the 
sailing  of  your  ship.  I  don't  think,"  he  went  on,  when 
they  had  taken  their  seats  at  table,  "  that  there  is  much 
chance  of  her  meeting  another  Spaniard  on  her  way  out 
to  sea,  for  we  have  news  this  morning  that  some  ships 
of  the  beggars  have  been  seen  cruising  off  the  entrance 
and  the  Spaniards  will  be  getting  under  shelter  of  their 
batteries  at  Amsterdam.  I  hear  they  are  expecting  a 
fleet  from  Spain  to  arrive  soon  to  aid  in  their  operations 
against  our  ports.  However,  I  have  little  fear  that 
they  will  do  much  by  sea  against  us.  I  would  we  could 
hold  our  own  as  well  on  the  land  as  we  can  on  the  water." 

Ned  found  the  meal  extremely  long  and  tedious,  for 
he  was  fretting  to  be  off  to  hasten  the  preparations  on 
board  the  Good  Venture,  and  he  was  delighted  when 
at  last  the  burgomaster  said : 

"  Now,  my  young  friend,  we  will  go  down  to  the 
wharf  together." 

But  although  somewhat  deliberate,  the  burgomaster 
proved  a  valuable  assistant.  When  he  had  told  Ned 
that  he  would  do  what  he  could  to  expedite  the  sailing 
of  the  ship  the  lad  had  regarded  it  as  a  mere  form  of 
words,  for  he  did  not  see  how  he  could  in  any  way  ex- 
pedite her  sailing.  As  soon,  however,  as  they  had  gone 
on  board,  and  Ned  had  told  Peters  that  the  captain  had 
given  his  consent  to  his  sailing  at  once,  the  burgomaster 
said :  "  You  can  scarce  set  sail  before  the  tide  turns, 
Master  Peters,  for  the  wind  is  so  light  that  you  would 
make  but  little  progress  if  you  did.  From  what  Master 
Martin  tells  me  you  came  off  so  hurriedly  from  Amster- 
dam that  you  had  no  time  to  get  ballast  on  board.  It 
would  be  very  venturesome  to  start  for  a  voyage  to  Eng- 
land unless  with  something  in  your  hold.  I  will  give 
order's  that  you  shall  be  furnished  at  once  with  sand-bags, 


^4  Bt  PIKE  AND  bYKS. 

otherwise  you  would  have  to  wait  your  turn  with  ttd 
other  vessels  lying  here  ;  for  ballast  is,  as  you  know,  a 
rare  commodity  in  Holland,  and  we  do  not  like  parting 
even  with  our  sand  hills.  In  the  meantime,  as  you  have 
well-nigh  six  hours  before  you  get  under  way,  I  will  go 
round  among  my  friends  and  see  if  I  cannot  procure 
you  a  little  cargo  that  may  pay  some  of  the  expenses  of 
your  voyage." 

Accordingly  the  burgomaster  proceeded  at  once  to 
visit  several  of  the  principal  merchants,  and,  represent- 
ing that  it  was  the  clear  duty  of  the  townsfolk  to  do 
what  they  could  for  the  men  who  had  fought  so  bravely 
against  the  Spaniards,  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  from 
them  a  considerable  quantity  of  freight  upon  good 
terms  ;  and  so  zealously  did  he  push  the  business  that 
in  a  very  short  time  drays  began  to  arrive  alongside  the 
Good  Venture,  and  a  number  of  men  were  speedily  at 
work  in  transferring  the  contents  to  her  hold,  and  be- 
fore evening  she  had  taken  on  board  a  goodly  amount 
of  cargo. 

Ned  wrote  a  letter  to  his  mother  telling  her  what  had 
taken  place,  and  saying  that  his  father  would  be  glad 
for  her  to  come  over  to  be  with  him,  but  that  he  left  it 
to  her  to  decide  whether  to  bring  the  girls  over  or  not. 
He  said  no  word  of  the  events  at  Vordwyk  ;  but  merely 
mentioned  they  had  learned  that  a  spy  had  denounced 
his  father  to  the  Spaniards  as  having  used  expressions 
hostile  to  the  king  and  the  religious  persecutions,  and 
that  on  this  account  he  would  have  been  arrested,  had 
he  not  at  once  put  to  sea.  Peters  was  charged  to  say 
nothing  as  to  what  he  had  heard  about  the  Plomaerts 
unless  she  pressed  him  with  questions.  He  was  to  re- 
port briefly  that  they  were  so  busy  with  the  unloading 
of  the  ship  at  Amsterdam  that   Captain  Martin   had 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  85 

only  once  been  ashore,  and  leave  it  to  be  inferred  that 
he  only  landed  to  see  the  merchants  to  whom  the  cargo 
was  consigned. 

"  Of  course,  Peters,  if  my  mother  presses  3-ou  as  to 
whether  any  news  has  been  received  from  Vordwyk, 
you  must  tell  the  truth  ;  but  if  it  can  be  concealed  from 
her  it  will  be  much  the  best.  She  will  have  anxiety 
enough  concerning  my  father." 

"  I  will  see,"  Peters  said, "  what  can  be  done.  Doubt- 
less at  first  she  will  be  so  filled  with  the  thought  of 
your  father's  danger  that  she  will  not  think  much  of 
anything  else  ;  but  on  the  voyage  she  will  have  time  to 
turn  her  thoughts  in  other  directions,  and  she  is  well- 
nigh  sure  to  ask  about  her  father  and  brothers.  I  shall 
be  guided  in  my  answers  by  her  condition.  Mistress 
Martin  is  a  sensible  woman,  and  not  a  girl  who  will  fly 
into  hysterics  and  rave  like  a  madwoman. 

"  It  may  be  too,  she  will  feel  the  one  blow  less  for 
being  so  taken  up  with  the  other ;  however,  I  will  do 
the  best  I  can  in  the  matter,  Master  Ned.  Truly  your 
friend  the  burgomaster  is  doing  us  rigbt  good  service. 
I  had  looked  to  lose  this  voyage  to  England,  and  that 
the  ten  days  I  should  be  away  would  be  fairly  lost 
time  ;  but  now,  although  we  shall  not  have  a  full  hold, 
the  freight  will  be  ample  to  pay  all  expenses  and  to  leave 
a  good  profit  beside." 

As  soon  as  the  tide  turned  the  hatches  were  put  on, 
the  vessel  was  warped  out  from  her  berth,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  was  under  sail. 

Ned  had  been  busy  helping  to  stow  away  the  cargo  as 
fast  as  it  came  on  board,  twice  running  up  to  see  how 
his  father  was  getting  on.  Each  time  he  was  told  by 
the  woman  whom  the  burgomaster  had  now  engaged  to 
act  as  nurscj  that  he  was  sleeping  (][^uietly.     When  he 


86  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

returned  after  seeing  the  Good  Venture  fairly  unde* 
way  he  found  on  peeping  quietly  into  the  room  that 
Captain  Martin  had  just  woke. 

"  I  have  had  a  nice  sleep,  Ned,"  he  said,  as  the  lad 
went  up  to  his  bedside.  "  I  see  it  is  already  getting 
dark.     Has  the  brig  sailed  ?  " 

"  She  has  just  gone  out  of  port,  father.  The  wind  is 
light  and  it  was  no  use  starting  until  tide  turned ; 
although,  indeed,  the  tides  are  of  no  great  laccount  in 
these  inland  waters.  Still,  we  had  to  take  some  ballast 
on  board  as  our  hold  was  empty,  and  they  might  meet 
with  storms  on  their  way  home,  so  they  had  to  wait  for 
that.  But,  indeed,  after  all,  they  took  in  but  little 
ballast,  for  the  burgomaster  bestirred  himself  so  warmly 
in  our  favor  that  the  merchants  sent  down  goods  as  fast 
as  we  could  get  them  on  board,  and  short  as  the  time 
was,  the  main-hold  was  well-nigh  half  full  before  we  put 
on  the  hatches  ;  so  that  her  voyage  home  will  not  be 
without  a  good  profit  after  all." 

"  That  is  good  news,  Ned ;  for  although  as  far  as  I  am 
concerned  the  money  is  of  no  great  consequence  one  way 
or  the  other,  I  am  but  part  owner,  and  the  others  might 
well  complain  at  my. sending  the  ship  home  empty  to 
fetch  my  wife  instead  of  attending  to  their  interests." 

"  I  am  sure  they  would  not  have  done  that,  father, 
seeing  how  well  you  do  for  them,  and  what  good  money 
the  Venture  earns.  Why,  I  have  heard  you  say  she  re- 
turns her  value  every  two  years.  So  that  they  might 
well  have  gone  without  a  fortnight's  earnings  without 
murmuring." 

"  I  don't  suppose  they  would  have  murmured,  Ned, 
for  they  are  all  good  friends  of  mine,  and  always  seem 
well  pleased  with  what  I  do  for  them.  Still,  in  mattei-s 
pf  business  it  is  always  well  to  be  strict  and  regular,  and 


BY  PIKE  AND  BTKK  87 

I  should  have  deemed  it  my  duty  to  have  calculated  the 
usual  earnings  of  the  ship  for  the  time  she  was  away, 
and  to  have  paid  my  partners  their  share  as  if  she  had 
been  trading  as  usual.  It  is  not  because  the  ship  is 
half  mine  and  that  I  and  my  partners  made  good  profit 
out  of  her,  that  I  have  a  right  to  divert  her  from  her 
trade  for  my  own  purposes.  As  you  say,  my  partners 
might  be  well  content  to  let  me  do  so  ;  but  that  is  not 
the  question — I  should  not  be  content  myself. 

"  We  should  always  in  business  work  with  a  good  con- 
science, being  more  particular  about  the  interests  of 
those  who  trust  us  than  of  our  own.  Indeed,  on  the 
bare  ground  of  expediency  it  is  best  to  do  so ;  for  then, 
if  misfortune  liappens,  trade  goes  bad,  or  your  vessel  is 
cast  away,  they  will  make  good  allowance  for  you, 
knowing  that  you  are  a  loser  as  well  as  they,  and  that 
at  all  times  you  have  thought  as  much  of  them  as  of 
yourself.  Lay  this  always  to  heart,  lad.  It  is  unlikely 
that  I  shall  go  to  sea  much  more,  and  ere  long  you  will 
be  in  command  of  the  Good  Venture.  Always  think 
more  of  the  interests  of  those  who  trust  you  than  of 
your  own. 

"  They  have  put  their  money  into  the  ship,  relying 
upon  their  partner's  skill  and  honesty  and  courage. 
Even  at  a  loss  to  youi-self  you  should  show  them  always 
that  this  confidence  is  not  misplaced.  Do  your  duty  and 
a  little  more,  lad.  Most  men  do  their  duty.  It  is  the 
little  more  that  makes  the  difference  between  one  man 
and  the  other.  I  have  tried  always  to  do  a  little  moie, 
and  I  have  found  my  benefit  from  it  in  the  confidence 
and  trust  of  ray  partners  in  the  ship,  and  of  the  merchants 
with  whom  I  do  business.  However,  I  am  right  glad 
that  the  ship  is  not  going  back  empty.  I  shall  reckon 
liow  much  we  should  have  received  for  the  freight  that 


§^  BY  PIKE  AND  DYK& 

was  promised  me  at  Amsterdam,  then  you  will  give  md 
an  account  of  what  is  to  be  paid  by  the  merchants  here. 
The  difference  I  shall  make  up,  as  is  only  right,  seeing 
that  it  is  entirely  from  my  own  imprudence  in  express- 
ing my  opinion  upon  affairs  particular  to  myself,  and  in 
no  way  connected  with  the  ship,  that  I  was  forced  to 
leave  without  taking  in  tliat  cargo." 

Ned  listened  in  silence  to  his  father's  words,  and, 
resolved  to  lay  to  heart  the  lessons  they  conveyed.  He 
was  proud  of  the  high  standing  and  estimation  in  which 
his  father  Avas  held  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  he  now 
recognized  fully  for  the  first  time  how  he  had  won  that 
estimation.  It  was  not  only  that  he  was  a  good  sailor, 
but  that  in  all  things  men  were  assured  that  his  honor 
could  be  implicitly  relied  upon,  and  that  he  placed  the 
interest  of  his  employers  beyond  his  own. 

After  the  first  day  or  two  Ned  could  see  but  little 
change  in  his  father's  condition ;  he  was  very  weak  and 
low,  and  spoke  but  seldom.  Doubtless  his  bodily  con- 
dition was  aggravated  now  by  the  thought  that  must  be 
ever  present  to  him — that  his  active  career  was  termi- 
nated. He  might,  indeed,  be  able  when  once  completely 
cured  to  go  to  sea  again,  but  he  would  no  longer  be  the 
active  sailor  he  had  been ;  able  to  set  an  example  of 
energy  to  his  men  when  the  winds  blew  high  and  the 
ship  was  in  danger.  And  unless  fully  conscious  that  he 
was  equal  to  discharging  all  the  duties  of  his  position, 
Captain  Martin  was  not  the  man  to  continue  to  hold  it. 

Ned  longed  anxiously  for  the  return  of  the  Good 
Venture.  He  knew  that  his  mother's  presence  would 
do  much  for  his  father,  and  that  whatever  her  own 
sorrows  might  be  she  would  cheer  him.  Captain  Martin 
never  expressed  any  impatience  for  her  coming ;  but 
when  each  morning  he  asked  Ned,  the  first  thing,  which 


Sr  PIKE  AND  i)YKE.  80 

way  the  wind  was  blowing,  his  son  knew  well  enough 
what  he  was  thinking  of.  In  the  mean  time  Ned  had 
been  making  inquiries,  and  he  arranged  for  the  hire  of 
a  comfortable  house,  whose  inhabitants  being  Catholics, 
had,  when  Enkhuizen  declared  for  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
removed  to  Amsterdam.  For  although  the  prince  in- 
sisted most  earnestly  and  vigorously  that  religious 
toleration  should  be  extended  to  the  Catholics,  and  that 
no  one  should  suffer  for  their  religion,  all  were  not  so 
tolerant ;  and  when  the  news  arrived  of  wholesale  mas- 
sacres of  Protestants  by  Alva's  troops,  the  lower  class 
were  apt  to  rise  in  riot,  and  to  retaliate  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  property  of  the  Catholics  in  their  towns. 

Ned  had  therefore  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  use 
of  the  house,  on  extremely  moderate  terms,  from  the 
agent  in  whose  hands  its  owner  had  placed  his  affairs  in 
Enkhuizen.  The  burgomaster's  wife  had  at  his  request 
engaged  two  female  servants,  and  the  nurse  would  of 
course  accompany  her  patient.  The  burgomaster  and 
his  wife  had  both  protested  against  any  move  being 
made ;  but  Ned,  although  thanking  them  earnestly  for 
their  hospitable  offer,  pointed  out  that  it  might  be  a 
long  time  before  his  father  could  be  about,  that  it  was 
good  for  his  mother  to  have  the  occupation  of  seeing  to 
the  affairs  of  the  house  to  divert  her  thoughts  from  the 
sick-bed,  and,  as  it  was  by  no  means  improbable  that  she 
would  bring  his  sisters  with  her,  it  would  be  better  in 
all  respects  that  they  should  have  a  house  of  their  own. 
The  doctors  having  been  consulted,  agreed  that  it  would 
be  better  for  the  wounded  man  to  be  among  his  own 
people,  and  that  no  harm  would  come  of  removing  him 
carefully  to  another  house. 

"  A  change,  even  a  slight  one,  is  often  a  benefit," 
they   agreed ;   "  and    more   than    counterbalances  any 


90  ST  PIKE  ANl)  DYKE. 

slight  risk  that  there  may  be  in  a  patient's  removal 
from  one  place  to  another,  providing  that  it  be  gently 
and  carefully  managed." 

Therefore  it  was  arranged  that  as  soon  as  the  Good 
Venture  was  seen  approaching,  Captain  Martin  should 
be  carried  to  his  new  abode,  where  everything  was  kept 
prepared  for  him,  and  that  his  wife  should  go  direct  to 
him  there. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE,  91 


CHAPTER  V. 
nbd's    resolve. 

On  the  ninth  morning  after  the  departure  of  the  brig 
Ned  was  up  as  soon  as  daylight  appeared,  and  made  his 
way  to  the  walls.  The  watchman  there,  with  whom  he 
had  had  several  talks  during  the  last  two  days,  said  : 

"There  is  a  brig,  hull  down,  seaward,  and  I  should 
say  that  she  is  about  the  size  of  the  one  you  are  looking 
for.  She  looks,  too,  as  if  she  were  heading  for  this 
port." 

"  I  think  that  is  she,"  Ned  said,  gazing  intently  at 
the  distant  vessel.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  I  can  make 
out  that  her  jib  is  lighter  in  color  than  the  rest  of  her 
canvas.  If  that  is  so  I  have  no  doubt  about  its  being 
the  Good  Venture,  for  we  blew  our  jib  away  in  a  storm 
off  Ostend,  and  had  a  new  one  about  four  months  ago." 

"That  is  her  then,  young  master,"  the  watchman 
said,  shading  his  eyes  and  looking  intently  at  the  brig. 
"  Her  jib  is  surely  of  lighter  color  than  the  rest  of  her 
canvas." 

With  this  confirmation  Ned  at  once  ran  round  to  the 
house  he  had  taken,  and  told  the  servants  to  have  fires 
lighted,  and  everything  in  readiness  for  the  reception  of 
the  party. 

"  My  father,"  he  said,  "  will  be  brought  here  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  or  so.  My  mother  will  arrive  a  little 
later," 


92  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

Ned  then  went  round  to  the  doctor,  who  had  promised 
that  he  would  personally  superintend  the  removing  of 
his  patient,  and  would  bring  four  careful  men  and  a 
litter  for  his  conveyance.  He  said  that  he  would  be 
round  at  the  burgomaster's  in  half  an  hour.  Ned  then 
went  back  to  his  father.  Captain  Martin  looked  round 
eagerly  as  he  entered. 

"  Yes,  father,"  Ned  said,  answering  the  look ;  "  there 
is  a  brig  in  sight,  which  is,  I  am  pretty  sure,  the  Good 
Venture.  She  will  be  in  port  in  the  course  of  a  couple 
of  hours.  I  have  just  been  round  to  Doctor  Harreng, 
and  he  will  be  here  in  half  an  hour  with  the  litter  to 
take  you  over  to  the  new  house." 

Captain  Martin  gave  an  exclamation  of  deep  thank- 
fulness, and  then  lay  for  some  time  with  his  eyes  closed, 
and  spoke  but  little  until  the  arrival  of  the  doctor  and 
the  men  with  the  litter. 

"  You  must  firat  of  all  drink  this  broth  that  has  just 
been  sent  up  for  you,"  the  surgeon  said,  "  and  then  take 
a  spoonful  of  cordial.  It  will  be  a  fatigue,  you  know^ 
however  well  we  manage  it ;  and  you  must  be  looking 
as  bright  and  well  as  you  can  by  the  time  your  good  wife 
arrives,  else  she  will  have  a  very  bad  opinion  of  the 
doctors  of  Enkhuizen." 

Captain  Martin  did  as  he  was  ordered.  The  men  then 
carefully  raised  the  mattress  with  him  upon  it,  and 
placed  it  upon  the  litter. 

"  I  think  we  will  cover  you  up  altogether,"  the  doctor 
said,  "  as  we  go  along  through  the  streets.  The  morn- 
ing air  is  a  good  deal  keener  than  the  atmosphere  of 
this  room,  and  you  won't  want  to  look  about." 

The  litter  was  therefore  completely  covered  with  a 
blanket,  and  was  then  lifted  and  taken  carefully  down 
the  broad  staircase  and  through    th©    streets.      The 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  93 

burgomaster's  wife  had  herself  gone  on  before  to  see 
that  everything  was  comfortably  prepared,  and  when 
the  bed  was  laid  down  on  the  bedstead  and  the  blanket 
turned  back  Captain  Martin  saw  a  bright  room  with  a 
fire  burning  on  the  hearth,  and  the  burgomaster's  wife 
and  nurse  beside  him,  while  Ned  and  the  doctor  were 
at  the  foot  of  the  bed. 

"  You  have  not  suffered,  I  hope,  in  the  moving,  Cap- 
tain Martin  ?  "  the  burgomaster's  wife  asked. 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  said.  "  I  felt  somewhat  faint  at  first, 
but  the  movement  has  been  so  easy  that  it  soon  passed 
off.  I  was  glad  my  head  was  covered,  for  I  do  not 
think  that  I  could  have  stood  the  sight  of  the  passing 
objects." 

"  Now  you  must  drink  another  spoonful  of  cordial," 
the  doctor  said,  "  and  then  lie  quiet.  I  shall  not  let 
you  see  your  wife  when  she  arrives  if  your  pulse  is  beat- 
ing too  rapidly.  So  far  you  have  been  going  on  fairly, 
and  we  must  not  have  you  thrown  back." 

"  I  shall  not  be  excited,"  Captain  Martin  replied. 
"  Now  that  I  know  the  vessel  is  in  sight  I  am  con- 
tented enough ;  but  I  have  been  fearing  lest  the  brig 
might  fall  in  with  a  Spaniard  as  she  came  through  the 
islands,  and  there  would  be  small  mercy  for  any  on 
board  had  she  been  detected  and  captured.  Now  that  I 
know  she  is  coming  to  port  safely,  I  can  wait  quietly 
enough.     Now,  Ned,  you  can  be  off  down  to  the  port." 

The  doctor  went  out  with  Ned  and  charged  him 
strictly  to  impress  upon  his  mother  the  necessity  for 
self-restraint  and  quiet  when  she  saw  her  husband. 

"  I  am  not  over  satisfied  with  his  state,"  he  said,  "  and 
much  will  depend  on  this  meeting.  If  it  passes  off  well 
and  he  is  none  the  worse  for  it  to-morrow,  I  shall  look 
to  see  him  mend  rapidly  ]  but  if,  on  th^  othe;*  hand,  h^ 


94  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

is  agitated  and  excited,  fever  may  set  in  at  once,  and  in 
that  case,  weak  as  he  is,  his  state  will  be  very  serious." 

"  I  understand,  sir,  and  will  impress  it  upon  my 
mother ;  but  I  do  not  think  you  need  fear  for  her. 
Whatever  she  feels,  she  will,  I  am  sure,  carry  out  your 
instructions." 

Ned  went  down  to  the  port.  He  found  that  the  brig 
was  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  He  could  make  out 
female  figures  on  board,  and  knew  that,  as  he  had  rather 
expected  would  be  the  case,  his  mother  had  brought  his 
sisters  with  her.  Jumping  into  a  boat  he  was  rowed  off 
to  the  vessel  and  climbing  the  side  was  at  once  in  his 
mother's  arms.  Already  he  had  answered  the  question 
that  Peters  had  shouted  before  he  was  halfway  from  the 
shore  and  had  replied  that  his  father  was  going  on  as 
well  as  could  be  expected.  Thus  when  Ned  leaped  on 
board  his  mother  and  the  girls  were  in  tears  at  the  relief 
to  the  anxiety  that  had  oppressed  them  during  the 
voyage  lest  they  should  at  its  end  find  they  had  arrived 
too  late. 

"  And  he  is  really  better  ?  "  were  Mrs.  Martin's  first 
words  as  she  released  Ned  from  her  embrace. 

"  I  don't  know  that  he  is  better,  mother,  but  he  is  no 
worse.  He  is  terribly  weak ;  but  the  doctor  tells  me 
that  if  no  harm  comes  to  him  from  his  agitation  in  meet- 
ing you,  he  expects  to  see  him  mend  rapidly.  He  has 
been  rather  fretting  about  your  safety,  and  I  think  that 
the  knowledge  that  you  are  at  hand  has  already  done  him 
good.  His  voice  was  stronger  when  he  spoke  just  before 
I  started  than  it  has  been  for  some  days.  Only,  above 
all  things,  the  doctor  says  you  must  restrain  your  feel 
ings  and  be  calm  and  quiet  when  you  first  meet  him. 
And  now,  girls,  liow  are  you  both  ?  "  he  asked,  turning 
to  them,     "  Not  very  well,  I  suppose  ;  for  I  know  you 


BY  PIKE  AND  DTKB.  95 

have  always  shown  yourselves  bad  sailors  when  you  have 
come  over  with  mother." 

"  The  sea  has  not  been  very  rough,"  Janet  said  ;  "  and 
except  when  we  first  got  out  to  sea  we  have  not  been 
ill." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  the  girls  ?  "  Mrs. 
Martin  asked.  "  Of  course  I  must  go  where  your  father 
is,  but  I  cannot  presume  upon  the  kindness  of  strangei-s 
so  far  as  to  quarter  the  girls  upon  them." 

'*  That  is  all  arranged,  mother.  Father  agreed  with 
me  that  it  would  not  be  pleasant  for  any  of  you  being 
with  strangers,  and  I  have  therefore  taken  a  house ;  and 
he  has  just  been  moved  there,  so  you  will  have  him  all 
to  yourself." 

"  That  is  indeed  good  news,"  Mrs.  Martin  said. 
"  However  kind  people  are,  one  is  never  so  comfortable 
as  at  home.  One  is  afraid  of  giving  trouble,  and  alto- 
gether it  is  different.  I  have  heard  all  the  news,  my 
boy.  Master  Peters  tried  his  best  to  conceal  it  from  me, 
but  I  was  sure  by  his  manner  that  there  was  something 
wrong.  It  was  better  that  I  should  know  at  once,"  she 
went  on,  wiping  her  eyes.  "  Terrible  as  it  all  is,  I  have 
scarce  time  to  think  about  it  now  when  my  mind  is 
taken  up  with  your  father's  danger.  And  it  hardly  came 
upon  me  even  as  a  surprise,  for  I  have  long  felt  that 
some  evil  must  have  befallen  them  or  they  would  have 
assuredly  managed  to  send  me  word  of  themselves 
before  now." 

By  this  time  the  Good  Venture  had  entered  the  port, 
and  had  drawn  up  close  beside  one  of  the  wharves.  As 
soon  as  the  sails  were  lowered  and  the  warps  made  fast, 
Peters  directed  three  of  the  seamen  to  bring  up  the 
boxes  from  the  cabin,  and  to  follow  him.  Ned  then  led 
the  way  to  the  new  house. 


06  ^T  PIKE  AND  DYKK 

"  I  will  go  up  first,  mother,  and  tell  them  that  you 
have  come." 

Mrs.  Martin  quietly  removed  her  hat  and  cloak,  fol- 
lowed Ned  upstairs,  and  entered  her  husband's  room 
with  a  calm  and  composed  face. 

"  Well,  my  dear  husband,"  she  said  almost  cheerfully, 
"  I  have  come  to  nurse  you.  You  see  when  you  get 
into  trouble  it  is  us  women  that  you  men  fallback  upon 
after  all." 

The  doctor,  who  had  retired  into  the  next  room  when 
he  heard  that  Mrs.  Martin  had  arrived,  nodded  his  head 
with  a  satisfied  air.  "  Slie  will  do,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
not  much  fear  for  my  patient  now." 

Ned,  knowing  that  he  would  not  be  wanted  upstairs 
for  some  time,  went  out  with  Peters  after  the  baggage 
had  been  set  down  in  the  lower  room. 

"  So  you  had  a  fine  voyage  of  it,  Peters  ?  " 

"  We  should  have  been  better  for  a  little  more  wind, 
both  coming  and  going,"  the  mate  said ;  "  but  there  was 
nothing  much  to  complain  of." 

"  You  could  not  have  been  long  in  the  river  then, 
Peters?" 

"  We  were  six  and  thirty  hours  in  port.  We  got  in 
at  the  top  of  tide  on  Monday  morning,  and  went  down 
with  the  ebb  on  Tuesday  evening.  First,  as  in  duty 
bound,  I  went  to  see  our  good  dame  and  give  her  your 
letter,  and  answer  her  questions.  It  was  a  hard  business 
that,  and  I  would  as  lief  have  gone  before  the  queen 
herself  to  give  her  an  account  of  things  as  to  have  gone 
to  your  mother.  Of  course  I  hoisted  the  flag  as  we  passed 
up  the  river.  I  knew  that  some  of  them  were  sure 
to  be  on  watch  at  Botherhithe,  and  that  they  would  run 
in  and  tell  her  that  the  Good  Venture  was  in  port  again. 
I  had  rather  hoped  that  our  coming  back  so  soon  might 


ht  PiKt}  ANi)  DYKE.  §7 

lead  her  to  think  that  something  was  wrong,  for  she 
would  have  known  that  we  could  scarce  have  gone  to 
Amsterdam  and  discharged,  loaded  up  again,  and  then 
back  here,  especially  as  the  wind  had  been  light  ever 
since  she  sailed.  And  sure  enough  the  thought  had 
struck  her ;  for  when  I  caught  sight  of  the  garden-gate 
one  of  your  sisters  was  there  on  the  lookout,  and  direct- 
ly she  saw  me  she  ran  away  in.  I  hurried  on  as  fast  as 
I  could  go  then,  for  I  knew  that  Mistress  Martin  would 
be  sorely  frighteijed  when  she  lieard  that  it  was  neither 
your  father  nor  you.  As  I  got  there  your  mother  was 
standing  at  the  door.  She  was  just  as  white  as  death. 
'  Cheer  up,  mistress,'  I  said  as  cheery  as  I  could  speak. 

*  I  have  bad  news  for  you,  but  it  might  have  been  a  deal 
worse.  The  captain's  got  a  hurt,  and  Master  Ned  is 
stopping  to  nurse  him.' 

"  She  looked  at  me  as  if  she  would  read  me  through. 

*  That's  the  truth  as  I  am  a  Christian  man,  mistress,'  I 
said.  '  It  has  been  a  bad  business,  but  it  might  have 
been  a  deal  worse.  The  doctor  said  that  he  was  doing 
well.'  Then  your  mother  gave  a  deep  sigh,  and  I  thought 
for  a  moment  she  was  going  to  faint,  and  ran  forward 
to  catch  her ;  but  she  seemed  to  make  an  effort  and 
straighten  herself  up,  just  as  I  have  seen  the  brig  do 
when  a  heavy  sea  has  flooded  her  decks  and  swept  all 
before  it. 

"  '  Thanks  be  to  the  good  God  that  he  is  not  taken 
from  me,'  she  said.  '  Now  I  can  bear  anything.  Now, 
Peters,  tell  me  all  about  it.' 

"  '  I  ain't  good  at  telling  a  story,  Mistress  Martin,'  I 
said  ;  '  but  here  is  Master  Ned's  letter.  When  you  have 
read  that  maybe  I  can  answer  questions  as  to  mattere  of 
which  he  may  not  have  written.  I  will  stand  off  and 
on  in  the  garden,  ma'am,  and  then  you  can  read  it  com- 
7 


98  BY  PIKE  AND  LYKS. 

fortable-like  indoors,  and  hail  me  when  you  have  got  to 
the  bottom  of  it.'  It  was  not  many  minutes  before  one 
of  your  sisters  called  me  in.  They  had  all  been  crying, 
and  I  felt  more  uncomfortable  than  I  did  when  those 
Spanish  rascals  gave  us  a  broadside,  as  I  went  in,  for  I 
was~  afraid  she  would  so  rake  me  with  questions  that 
she  would  get  out  of  me  that  other  sad  business ;  and  it 
could  hardly  be  expected  that  even  the  stoutest  ship 
should  weather  two  such  storms,  one  after  the  other. 

"  '  I  don't  understand  it  all,  Master  Peters,'  she  said, 
'  for  my  son  gives  no  good  reason  why  the  Spaniards 
should  thus  have  attacked  an  English  ship ;  but  we  can 
talk  of  that  afterward.  All  that  mattere  at  present  is, 
that  my  husband  has  been  wounded  and  has  lost  his  leg 
and  lies  in  some  danger  ;  for  although  Ned  clearly  makes 
the  best  of  it,  no  man  can  suffer  a  hurt  like  that  without 
great  risk  of  life.  He  wishes  me  to  go  over  at  once. 
As  to  the  girls,  he  says  I  can  take  them  with  me  or 
leave  them  with  a  friend  here.  But  they  wish,  as  is  nat- 
ural, greatly  to  go ;  and  it  were  better  for  all  reasons 
that  they  did  so.  Were  they  left  here  they  would  be  in 
anxiety  about  their  father's  state,  and  as  it  may  be  long 
before  he  can  be  moved  I  should  not  like  to  leave  them 
in  other  charge  than  my  own.  When  will  you  be  ready 
to  sail  again  ?  " 

"  '  I  shall  be  ready  by  to-morrow  evening's  tide,  Mis- 
tress Martin,'  I  said.  '  I  have  cargo  on  board  that  I 
must  discharge,  and  must  have  carpenters  and  sail- 
makers  on  board  to  repair  some  of  the  damages  we 
suffered  in  the  action.  I  do  not  think  I  can  possibly  be 
ready  to  drop  down  the  river  before  high  water  to-mor- 
row, which  will  be  about  six  o'clock.  I  will  send  a 
boat  to  the  stairs  here  at  half-past  five  to  take  you  and 
your  trunks  on  boai'd.' 


Br  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  99 

" '  We  shall  be  ready,'  she  said.  *  As  Ned  says  that 
my  husband  is  well  cared-for  in  the  house  of  the  burgo- 
master, and  has  every  comfort  and  attention,  there  is 
nothing  I  need  take  over  for  him.'  I  said  that  I  was 
sure  he  had  all  he  could  require,  and  that  she  need  take 
no  trouble  on  that  score,  and  then  said  that  with  her 
permission  I  would  go  straight  back  on  board  again, 
seeing  there  was  much  to  do,  and  that  it  all  came  on 
my  shoulders  just  at  present. 

"  I  had  left  the  bosun  in  charge,  and  told  him  to  get 
the  hatches  off  and  begin  to  get  up  the  cargo  as  soon  as 
he  had  stowed  the  sails  and  make  all  tidy ;  for  I  had 
not  waited  for  that,  but  had  rowed  ashore  as  soon  as  the 
anchor  was  dropped.  So  without  going  back  to  the 
brig  I  crossed  the  river  and  landed  by  the  steps  at  the 
bridge,  and  took  the  letters  to  the  merchants  for  whom 
I  had  goods,  and  prayed  them  to  send  off  boats  imme- 
diately, as  it  was  urgent  for  me  to  discharge  as  soon  as 
possible ;  then  I  went  to  the  merchants  whose  names 
you  had  given  me,  and  who  ship  goods  with  us  regularly, 
to  tell  them  that  the  Venture  was  in  port  but  would 
sail  again  to-morrow  evening,  and  would  take  what 
cargo  they  could  get  on  board  for  Enkhuizen  or  any  of 
the  seaward  ports,  but  not  for  Amsterdam  or  other  places 
still  in  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards. 

"  Then  I  went  to  the  lord  mayor  and  swore  an  in- 
formation before  him  to  lay  before  the  queen  and  the 
council  that  the  Spaniards  had  wantonly,  and  without 
offense  given,  attacked  the  Good  Venture  and  inflicted 
much  damage  upon  her,  and  badly  wounded  her  captain  ; 
and  would  have  sunk  her  had  we  not  stoutly  defended 
ourselves  and  beat  them  off.  I  was  glad  when  all  that 
was  over.  Master  Ned  ;  for,  as  you  know,  I  know  nought 
about  writing.     Mv  business  is  to  sail  the  ship  under 


100  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

your  father's  oiders  ;  but  as  to  talking  with  merchants 
who  press  you  with  questions,  and  seem  to  think  that 
you  have  nought  to  do  but  to  stand  and  gossip,  this  is 
not  in  my  way,  and  I  wished  sorely  that  you  had  been 
with  me,  and  could  have  taken  all  this  business  into 
your  hands. 

"  Then  I  went  down  to  the  wharves,  and  soon  got 
some  carpenters  at  work  to  mend  the  bulwarks  and  put 
some  fresh  planks  on  the  deck  where  the  shot  had 
ploughed  it  up.  Luckily  enough  I  heard  of  a  man  who 
had  some  sails  that  he  had  bought  from  the  owners  of  a 
ship  which  was  cast  away  down  near  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  They  were  a  little  large  for  the  Venture ;  but  I 
made  a  bargain  with  hira  in  your  father's  name,  and  got 
them  on  board  and  set  half  a  dozen  sailmakers  to  work 
upon  them,  and  they  were  ready  by  the  next  afternoon. 
The  others  will  do  again  when  they  have  got  some  new 
cloths  in,  and  a  few  patches ;  but  if  we  had  gone  out 
with  a  dozen  holes  in  them  the  first  Spaniard  who  saw 
us,  and  who  had  heard  of  our  fight  with  the  Don 
Pedro,  would  have  known  us  at  once. 

"  I  was  thankful,  I  can  tell  you,  when  I  got  on  board 
again.  Just  as  I  did  so  some  lighters  came  out,  and  we 
were  hard  at  work  till  dusk  getting  out  the  cargo.  The 
next  morning  at  daylight  fresh  cargo  began  to  come  out 
to  us,  and  things  went  on  well,  and  would  have  gone 
better  had  not  people  come  on  board  pestering  me  wdth 
questions  about  our  fight  with  the  Spaniards.  And 
just  at  noon  two  of  the  queen's  ofl&cers  came  down  and 
must  needs  have  the  whole  story  from  beginning  to  end  ; 
and  they  had  brought  a  clerk  with  them  to  write  it 
down  from  my  lips.  They  had  said  we  had  done  right 
gallantly,  and  that  no  doubt  I  should  be  wanted  next 
day  at  the  royal  council  to  answer  other  questions  tough- 


^t  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  161 

ing  the  affair.  You  may  be  sure  I  said  no  word  about 
the  fact  that  in  six  hours  we  should  be  dropping  down 
the  river ;  for  like  enough  if  I  had  they  would  have 
ordered  me  not  to  go,  and  as  I  should  have  gone  whether 
they  had  or  not — seeing  that  Captain  Martin  was  look- 
ing for  his  wife,  and  that  the  mistress  was  anxious  to 
be  off — it  might  have  led  to  trouble  when  I  got  back 
again. 

"  By  the  afternoon  we  had  got  some  thirty  tons  of 
goods  on  board,  and  although  that  is  but  a  third  of  what 
she  would  carry,  I  was  well  content  that  we  had  done 
so  much.  After  the  new  sails  had  come  on  board  I  had 
put  a  gang  to  work  to  bend  them,  and  had  all  ready  and 
the  anchor  up  just  as  the  tide  turned.  We  had  not 
dropped  down  many  hundred  yards  when  the  boat  with 
Mistress  Martin  and  your  sisters  came  alongside;  and 
thankful  I  was  when  it  came  on  dark  and  we  were 
slipping  down  the  river  with  a  light  southwesterly  wind, 
for  I  had  been  on  thorns  all  the  afternoon  lest  some 
messenger  might  arrive  from  the  council  with  orders 
for  me  to  attend  there.  I  did  not  speak  much  to  your 
mother  that  evening,  for  it  needs  all  a  man's  attention 
to  work  down  the  river  at  night. 

"  The  next  morning  I  had  mj--  breakfast  brought  up 
on  deck  instead  of  going  down,  for,  as  you  may  guess,  I 
did  not  want  to  have  your  mother  questioning  me ;  but 
presently  your  sister  came  up  with  a  message  to  me  that 
Mistress  Martin  would  be  glad  to  have  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  conversation  with  me  as  soon  as  duty  would  per- 
mit me  to  leave  deck.  So  after  awhile  I  braced  myself 
up  and  went  below,  but  I  tell  you  that  I  would  rather 
have  gone  into  action  again  with  the  Don  Pedro.  She 
began  at  once,  without  parley  or  courtesies,  by  firing  a 
broadside  right  into  me. 


102  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

" '  I  don't  think,  Master  Peters,  that  you  have  told 
me  yet  all  there  is  to  be  told.' 

"  That  took  me  between  wind  and  water,  you  see. 
However,  I  made  a  shift  to  bear  up. 

"  '  Well,  Mistress  Mai-tin,'  says  I,  '  I  don't  say  as  I 
have  given  you  all  particulars.  I  don't  know  as  I  men- 
tioned to  you  as  Joe  Wiggins  was  struck  down  by  a 
splinter  from  the  long-boat,  and  was  dazed  for  full  two 
hours,but  he  came  round  again  all  right,  and  was  fit  for 
duty  next  day.' 

"  Mrs.  Martin  heard  me  quietly,  and  then  she 
said: 

" '  That  will  not  do,  John  Peters ;  you  know  well 
what  I  mean.  You  need  not  fear  to  tell  me  the  news  ; 
I  have  long  been  fearing  it.  My  husband  is  not  one  to 
talk  loosely  in  the  streets  and  to  bring  upon  himself  the 
anger  of  the  Spaniards,  He  must  have  had  good  cause 
before  he  said  words  that  spoken  tliere  would  place  his 
life  in  peril.     What  has  happened  at  Vordwyk?  " 

"  Well,  Master  Ned,  I  stood  there  as  one  struck 
stupid.  What  was  there  to  say  ?  I  am  a  truthful  man, 
but  I  would  have  told  a  lie  if  I  had  thouglit  it  would 
have  been  any  good.  But  there  she  was,  looking  quietly 
at  me,  and  I  knew  as  she  would  see  in  a  moment 
whether  I  was  speaking  truth  or  not.  She  waited 
quiet  ever  so  long  and  at  last  I  said  : 

"  '  The  matter  is  in  this  wise.  Mistress  Martin.  My 
orders  was  I  was  to  hold  my  tongue  about  all  business 
not  touching  the  captain  or  the  affairs  of  this  sliip. 
When  you  sees  the  captain  it's  for  you  to  ask  him  ques- 
tions, and  for  him  to  answer  if  he  sees  right  and  good 
to  do  so.' 

"  She  put  her  hand  over  her  face  and  sat  quiet  for 
some  time,  and  when  she  looked  up  again  her  eyes  were 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  103 

full  of  tears  and  her  cheeks  wet ;  then  she  said  in  a  low- 
tone: 

"  All,  Peters — are  they  all  gone  ?" 

"  Well,  Master  Ned,  I  was  swabbing  my  own  eyes ; 
for  it  ain't  in  a  man's  nature  to  see  a  woman  suffering 
like  that,  and  so  quiet  and  brave,  without  feeling  some- 
how as  if  all  the  manliness  had  gone  out  of  him.  I 
could  not  say  nothing.  What  could  I  say,  knowing 
what  the  truth  was  ?  Then  she  burst  out  a-crying  and 
a-sobbing,  and  I  steals  off  without  a  word,  and  goes  on 
deck  and  sets  the  men  a-hauling  at  the  sheets  and  trim- 
ming the  sails,  till  I  know  there  was  not  one  of  them 
but  cussed  me  in  his  heart  and  wished  that  the  captain 
was  back  again. 

"  Mistress  Martin  did  not  say  no  word  about  it  after- 
ward. She  came  up  on  deck  a  few  times,  and  asked 
me  more  about  the  captain,  and  how  he  looked,  and 
what  he  was  doing  when  he  got  his  wound.  And  of 
course  I  told  her  all  about  it,  full  and  particular,  and 
how  he  had  made  every  one  else  lie  down,  and  stood 
there  at  the  tiller  as  we  went  under  the  stern  of  the 
Spaniard,  and  that  none  of  us  knew  he  was  hit  until 
it  was  all  over  ;  and  how  we  had  peppered  them  with 
our  four  carronades,  and  all  about  it.  But  mostly  she 
stopped  down  below  till  we  hauled  our  wind  and  head- 
ed up  the  Zuider-Zee  toward  Enkhuizen." 

"  Well,  now  it  is  all  over,  Peters,"  Ned  said,  "  there 
is  no  doubt  that  it  is  better  she  should  have  heard  the 
news  from  you  instead  of  my  father  having  to  tell  her.' 

"  I  don't  deny  that  that  may  be  so.  Master  Ned,  now 
that  it  is  all  over  and  done ;  but  never  again  will  John 
Peters  undertake  a  job  where  he  is  got  to  keep  his 
mouth  shut  when  a  woman  wants  to  get  something  out 
of  him.     Lor'  bless  you,  lad,  they  just  see  right  through 


104  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

you  ;  and  you  feel  that,  twist  and  turn  as  you  will,  they 
will  get  it  out  of  you  sooner  or  later.  There,  I  started 
with  my  mind  quite  made  up  that  orders  was  to  be 
obeyed,  and  that  your  mother  was  to  be  kept  in  the 
dark  about  it  till  she  got  here ;  and  I  had  considered 
with  myself  that  in  such  a  case  as  this  it  would  be  no 
great  weight  upon  my  conscience  if  I  had  to  make  up 
some  kind  of  a  yarn  that  would  satisfy  her ;  and  yet  in 
three  minutes  after  she  got  me  into  that  cabin  she  was 
at  the  bottom  of  it  all." 

"  You  see,  she  has  been  already  very  uneasy  at  not 
hearing  for  so  long  from  her  father  and  brothers,  Peters ; 
and  that  and  the  fact  that  my  father  had  spoken  openly 
against  the  Spanish  authorities  set  her  upon  the  track, 
and  enabled  her  to  put  the  questions  straightforwardly 
to  you." 

"  I  suppose  that  was  it,  sir.  And  now,  has  the  cap- 
tain said  anything  about  what  is  going  to  be  done  with 
the  ship  till  he  gets  well  ?" 

"  Nothing  whatever,  Petei-s.  He  has  spoken  very 
little  upon  any  subject.  I  know  he  has  been  extremely 
anxious  for  my  mother  to  arrive,  though  he  has  said 
but  little  about  it.  I  fancy  that  for  the  last  few  days 
he  has  not  thought  that  he  should  recover.  But  the 
doctor  told  me  I  must  not  be  uneasy  upon  that  ground, 
for  that  he  was  now  extremely  weak,  and  men,  even 
the  bravest  and  most  resolute  when  in  health,  are  apt  to 
take  a  gloomy  view  when  utterly  weak  and  prostrate. 
His  opinion  was  that  my  mother's  coming  would  prob- 
ably cheer  him  up  and  enable  him  to  rally. 

"  I  think,  too,  that  he  has  been  dreading  having  to 
tell  her  the  terrible  news  about  her  father  and  brothers ; 
and  now  hq^  knows  that  she  is  aware  of  that  it  will  be 
a  load  off  his  mind.     Besides,  I  know  that  for  his  sake 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  105 

she  will  be  cheerful  and  bright,  and  with  her  and  the 
girls  with  him,  he  will  feel  as  if  at  home.  The  doctor 
told  me  that  the  mind  has  a  great  influence  over  the 
body,  and  that  a  man  with  cheerful  surroundings  had 
five  chances  to  one  as  against  one  among  strangers,  and 
with  no  one  to  brighten  him  up.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
as  soon  as  he  gets  a  little  stronger  he  will  arrange  what 
is  to  be  done  with  the  brig,  but  I  am  sure  it  will  be  a 
long  time  before  he  can  take  the  command  again  him- 
self." 

"  Ay,  I  fear  it  will  be,"  Peters  agreed.  "  It  is  a 
pity  you  are  not  four  or  five  years  older,  Master  Ned. 
I  do  not  say  that  I  couldn't  bring  the  ship  into  any 
port  in  Holland  ;  for,  having  been  sailing  backward 
and  forward  here,  man  and  boy,  for  over  thirty  years, 
I  could  dc  so  pretty  nigh  blindfold.  But  what  is  the 
good  of  bringing  a  ship  to  a  port  if  you  have  not  got 
the  head  to  see  about  getting  a  cargo  for  her,  and 
cannot  read  the  bills  of  lading,  or  as  much  as  sign  your 
name  to  a  customs  list. 

"  No,  Master  Ned,  I  am  not  fit  for  a  captain,  that  is 
quite  certain.  But  though  I  would  not  mind  serving 
under  another  till  your  father  is  fit  to  take  charge  again 
I  could  not  work  on  board  the  Venture  under  another 
for  good.  I  have  got  a  little  money  saved  up,  and 
would  rather  buy  a  share  in  a  small  coaster  and  be  my 
own  master  there.  After  serving  under  your  father 
for  nigh  twenty  years,  I  know  I  should  not  get  on  with 
another  skipper  nohow." 

"  Well,  Peters,  it  is  no  use  talking  it  over  now,  be- 
cause I  have  no  idea  what  my  father's  decision  will  be. 
I  hope  above  all  things  that  he  will  be  able  to  take  com- 
mand again,  but  I  have  great  doubts  in  my  mind  wheth- 
er he  will  ever  do  so.    If  he  had  lost  the  leg  below  the 


106  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

knee  it  would  not  so  much  have  mattered  ;  but  as  it  is, 
with  the  whole  leg  stiff,  he  would  have  great  difficulty 
in  getting  about,  especially  if  the  ship  was  rolling  in  a 
heavy  sea." 

John  Peters  shook  his  head  gravely,  for  this  was  the 
very  thing  he  had  turned  in  his  mind  over  and  over 
again  during  the  voyage  to  and  from  England. 

"  Your  cargo  is  not  all  for  this  place,  I  suppose, 
Peters  ?" 

"  No,  sir.  Only  two  or  three  tons  which  are  down  in 
the  forehold  together  are  for  Enkhuizen,  the  rest  are 
for  Leyden  and  The  Hague.  I  told  the  merchants  that 
if  they  put  their  goods  on  board  I  must  sail  past  the 
ports  and  make  straight  on  to  Enkhuizen  ;  for  that 
first  of  all  I  must  bring  Mistress  Martin  to  the  captain, 
but  that  I  would  go  round  and  discharge  their  goods  as 
soon  as  I  had  brought  her  here.  It  was  only  on  these 
terms  I  agreed  to  take  the  cargo." 

"  That  will  do  very  well,  Peters.  I  will  go  on  board 
with  you  at  once,  and  see  to  whom  your  goods  are  con- 
signed here,  and  warn  them  to  receive  them  at  once. 
You  will  get  them  on  shore  by  to-night,  and  then  to- 
morrow I  will  sail  with  you  to  Leyden  and  The  Hague, 
and  aid  you  in  getting  your  cargo  into  the  right  hands 
there.  Now  that  my  mother  and  the  girls  are  here  my 
father  will  be  able  to  spare  me.  We  can  be  back  here 
again  in  four  or  five  days,  and  by  that  time  I  hope  he 
will  be  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to  think  matters 
over,  and  come  to  some  decision  as  to  the  future  man- 
agement of  the  brig.  Of  course  if  he  wishes  me  to 
stay  on  board  her  I  shall  obey  his  orders,  whether  you 
or  another  are  the  captain." 

"  Why,  of  course  you  will  remain  on  board,  Master 
Ned.     What  else  should  you  do?" 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  iOl 

"  Well,  Peters,  my  own  mind  is  set  upon  joining  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  and  fighting  against  the  Spaniards. 
Before  I  sailed  from  home  I  told  my  sisters  that  was 
what  I  was  longing  to  do,  for  I  could  scarce  sleep  for 
thinking  of  all  the  cruelties  and  massacres  that  they 
carried  out  upon  the  people  of  the  Netherlands,  who 
are,  by  my  mother's  side,  my  kinsfolk.  Since  then  I 
have  scarce  thought  of  aught  else.  They  have  mur- 
dered my  grandfather  and  uncles  and  one  of  my  aunts ; 
they  have  shot  away  ray  father's  leg,  and  would  have 
taken  his  life  had  he  not  escaped  out  of  their  hands ; 
so  that  what  was  before  a  longing  is  now  a  fixed  idea, 
and  if  my  father  will  but  give  me  permission,  assuredly 
I  will  carry  it  out. 

"  There  are  many  English  volunteere  who  have  already 
crossed  the  sea  to  fight  against  these  murderers,  although 
unconnected  by  ties  of  blood  as  I  am,  and  who  have 
been  brought  here  to  fight  solely  from  pity  and  horror, 
and  because,  as  all  know,  Spain  is  the  enemy  of  England 
as  well  as  of  the  Netherlands,  and  would  put  down  our 
freedom  and  abolish  our  religion  as  she  has  done  here. 
I  know  that  my  wishes,  in  this  as  in  all  other  matters, 
must  give  way  to  those  of  my  father.  Still  I  hope  he 
may  be  moved  to  consent  to  them." 

Ned  thought  it  better  to  allow  his  father  and  mother 
to  remain  quietly  together  for  some  time,  and  did  not 
therefore  return  to  the  house  until  twelve  o'clock,  when 
he  knew  that  dinner  would  be  prepared  ;  for  his  mother 
was  so  methodical  in  her  ways  that  everything  would 
go  on  just  as  at  home  directly  she  took  charge  of  the 
affairs  of  the  house.  He  went  up  for  a  few  minutes 
before  dinner,  and  was  struck  with  the  change  in  the 
expression  of  his  father's  face.  There  was  a  peaceful 
and  contented  look  in  his  eyes,  and  it  almost  seemed  to 


lOd  ir  Pike  and  dtkH. 

Ned  that  his  face  was  less  hollow  and  drawn  than  be- 
fore. Ned  told  hira  that  it  would  be  necessary  for  the 
brig  to  go  round  to  Leyden  and  The  Hague,  and  that 
Peters  had  proposed  that  he  should  go  with  him  to  see 
the  merchants,  and  arrange  the  business  part  of  the  affair. 

"  That  will  do  very  well,"  Captain  Martin  said. 
"  You  are  young,  Ned,  to  begin  having  dealings  with 
the  Dutch  merchants,  but  when  you  tell  them  how  it 
comes  that  I  am  not  able  to  call  upon  them  myself,  they 
will  doubtless  excuse  your  youth." 

"  Do  you  wish  us  to  take  any  cargo  there,  father,  if 
we  can  get  any  ?  " 

Captain  Martin  did  not  answer  for  some  little  time, 
then  he  said : 

"  No,  Ned,  I  think  you  had  best  return  here  in  the 
ship.  By  that  time  I  shall,  I  hope,  be  capable  of  think- 
ing mattere  over,  and  deciding  upon  my  arrangements 
for  the  future.     When  is  Peters  thinking  of  sailing  ?  " 

"  By  to-morrow  morning's  tide,  sir.  He  said  that  he 
could  be  ready  perhaps  by  this  evening ;  but  that  unless 
you  wished  it  otherwise  he  would  not  start  till  to- 
moiTOw's  tide,  as  he  will  thereby  avoid  going  out 
between  the  islands  at  night." 

"  That  will  be  the  best  way,  Ned.  If  the  winds  are 
fair  he  will  be  at  The  Hague  before  nightfall." 

The  day  after  his  return  Ned  took  an  opportunity  of 
speaking  to  his  mother  as  to  his  wish  to  take  service 
with  the  Prince  of  Omnge,  and  to  aid  in  the  efforts  that 
the  people  of  the  Netherlands  were  making  to  free 
themselves  from  their  persecutors.  His  mother,  as  he 
feared  would  be  the  case,  expressed  a  strong  opposition 
to  his  plan. 

"  You  are  altogether  too  young,  Ned,  even  if  it  were 
a  matter  that  concerned  you  ?  " 


^T  PIKE  AND  DTKt;.  100 

**  It  does  concern  me,  mother.  Are  you  not  Dutch  ? 
And  though  I  was  born  in  England  and  a  subject  of  the 
queen,  it  is  natural  I  should  feel  warmly  in  the  matter ; 
besides  we  know  that  many  English  are  already  coming 
over  here  to  help.  Have  not  the  Spanish  killed  my 
relations,  and  unless  they  are  driven  back  they  will 
altogether  exterminate  the  Protestants  of  the  Nether- 
lands ?  Have  they  not  already  been  doomed  to  death 
regardless  of  age  and  sex  by  Philip's  proclamation  ? 
and  do  not  the  Spaniards  whenever  they  capture  a  town 
slay  well-nigh  all  within  it  ?  " 

"  That  is  all  true  enough,"  his  mother  agreed  ;  "  but 
proves  in  no  way  that  you  are  a  fit  age  to  meddle  in  the 
affair." 

"  I  am  sixteen,  mother  ;  and  a  boy  of  sixteen  who  has 
been  years  at  sea  is  as  strong  as  one  of  eighteen  brought 
up  on  the  land.  You  have  told  me  yourself  that  I  look 
two  or  three  years  older  than  I  am,  and  methinks  I  have 
strength  to  handle  pike  and  axe." 

"That  may  be  perfectly  true,"  said  Mrs.  Martin, 
"  but  even  supposing  all  other  things  were  fitting,  how 
could  we  spare  you  now  when  your  father  will  be 
months  before  he  can  follow  his  trade  on  the  sea  again, 
even  if  he  is  ever  able  to  do  so  ?  " 

"  That  is  the  thing,  mother,  that  weighs  with  me.  I 
know  not  what  my  father's  wishes  may  be  in  that 
respect,  and  of  course  if  he  holds  that  I  can  be  of  use  to 
him  1  must  give  up  my  plan ;  but  I  want  you  at  any 
rate  to  mention  it  to  him.  And  I  pray  you  not  to  add 
your  objections,  but  to  let  him  decide  on  the  matter  ac- 
cording to  his  will." 

"  There  will  be  no  occasion  for  me  to  add  objections, 
Ned.  I  do  not  think  your  father  will  listen  to  such  a 
mad  scheme  for  a  moment." 


110  Br  PIKE  AND  DYK^ 

It  was  not  until  three  or  four  days  later  that  Mrs. 
Martin,  seeing  that  her  husband  was  stronger  and  better, 
and  was  taking  an  interest  in  what  passed  in  the  house, 
fulfilled  her  promise  to  Ned  by  telling  his  father  of  his 
wishes. 

"  You  must  not  be  angry  with  him,"  she  said  when 
she  had  finished ;  "  for  he  spoke  beautifully,  and  ex- 
pressed himself  as  perfectly  willing  to  yield  his  wishes 
to  yours  in  the  matter.  I  told  him,  of  course,  that  it 
was  a  mad-brained  scheme,  and  not  to  be  thought  of. 
Still,  as  he  was  urgent  I  should  lay  it  before  you,  I 
promised  to  do  so." 

Captain  Martin  did  not,  as  his  wife  expected,  instantly 
declare  that  such  a  plan  was  not  to  be  thought  of  even 
for  a  moment,  but  lay  for  some  time  apparently  turning 
it  over  in  his  mind. 

"  I  know  not  quite  what  to  say,"  he  said  at  length. 

"Not  know  what  to  say?"  his  wife  repeated  in  sur- 
prise. "  Why,  husband,  you  surely  cannot  for  a  moment 
think  of  allowing  Ned  to  embark  in  so  wild  a  business." 

"  There  are  many  English  volunteers  coming  over ; 
some  of  them  not  much  older,  and  not  so  fit  in  bodily 
strength  for  the  work  as  Ned.  He  has,  too,  the  advan- 
tage of  speaking  the  language,  and  can  pass  anywhere  as 
a  native.  You  are  surprised,  Sophie,  at  my  thinking  of 
this  for  a  moment." 

"  But  what  would  you  do  without  him  ? "  she  ex- 
claimed in  astonishment. 

"  That  is  what  I  have  been  thinking  as  I  lay  here. 
I  have  been  troubled  what  to  do  witli  Ned.  He  is  too 
young  yet  to  entrust  with  all  the  business  of  the  ship, 
and  the  merchants  here  and  at  home  would  hesitate  in 
doing  business  with  a  lad.  Moreover,  he  is  too  young 
to  be  first  mate  on  board  the  brig.     Peters  is  a  worthy 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  Ill 

man  and  a  good  sailor,  but  he  can  neither  read  nor  write 
and  knows  naught  of  business  ;  and,  therefore,  until  I 
am  able,  if  I  ever  shall  be,  to  return  to  the  Good  Ven- 
ture, I  must  have  a  good  seaman  as  first  mate,  and  a 
supercargo  to  manage  the  business  affairs  of  the  ship. 
Were  Ned  four  yeara  older  he  could  be  at  once  first 
mate  and  supercargo.  There,  you  see  your  objection 
that  I  need  him  falls  to  the  ground.  As  to  other 
reasons  I  will  think  them  over,  and  speak  to  you  another 
time." 


112  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  PRINCE  OP  ORANGE. 

Mistress  Martin  was  much  troubled  in  her  mind 
by  what  seemed  to  her  the  unaccountable  favor  with 
which  her  husband  had  received  Ned's  proposal.  She 
did  not,  however,  allow  any  trace  of  this  feeling  to 
escape  her,  nor  did  she  mention  to  Ned  that  she  had  as 
yet  spoken  as  to  his  wishes  to  his  father.  The  next  day 
Captain  Martin  himself  renewed  the  subject. 

"  I  told  you  yesterday,  Sophia,  why  in  my  opinion 
Ned  would  at  present  be  of  little  aid  to  me  in  the  matter 
of  the  brig,  and  may  even  go  further  in  that  respect  and 
say  that  I  think  for  a  time  it  will  be  just  as  well  that  he 
were  not  on  board.  Having  no  established  position 
there  would  be  no  special  duties  for  him  to  perform. 
Now,  I  have  made  a  point  of  telling  him  all  about  the 
consignments  and  the  rates  of  freight,  and  have  encour- 
aged him  always  to  express  his  opinion  freely  on  these 
matters  in  order  that  his  intelligence  might  thereby  be 
quickened  ;  but  if  he  so  expressed  himself  to  the  super- 
cargo the  latter  might  well  take  offense  and  difficulties 
arise,  therefore  before  you  spoke  to  me  I  had  quite  re- 
solved that  it  would  be  best  he  should  sail  no  more  in  the 
Good  Venture  until  old  enough  to  come  in  and  take  the 
place  of  second  mate  and  supercargo,  but  that  I  would 
place  him  with  some  captain  of  my  acquaintance,  under 
whom  he  would  continue  to  learn  his  duty  for  the  next 
three  or  four  years." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  113 

*'  Tha  is  a  good  reason,  doubtless,  husband,  why  Ned 
should  not  sail  in  the  Venture,  but  surely  no  reason  at 
all  why  he  should  carry  out  this  mad  fancy  of  his." 

"  No  reason,  I  grant  you,  wife ;  but  it  simply  shows 
that  it  happens  at  this  moment  we  can  well  spare  him. 
As  to  the  main  question,  it  is  a  weighty  one.  Other 
young  Englishmen  have  come  out  to  fight  for  the  Neth- 
erlands witli  far  less  cause  than  he  has  to  mix  themselves 
up  in  its  affaii-s.  Moreover,  and  this  principally,  it  is 
borne  strongly  upon  my  mind  that  it  may  be  that  this 
boy  of  ours  is  called  upon  to  do  good  service  to  Holland. 
It  seems  to  me,  wife,"  he  went  on,  in  answer  to  the  look 
of  astonishment  upon  his  wife's  face,  "  that  the  hand  of 
Providence  is  in  this  matter. 

"  I  have  always  felt  with  you  a  hatred  of  the  Span- 
iards and  a  deep  horror  at  the  cruelties  they  are  perpe- 
trating upon  this  unhappy  people,  and  have  thought  that 
did  the  queen  give  the  order  for  war  against  them  I 
would  gladly  adventure  my  life  and  ship  in  such  an 
enterprise  ;  further  than  that  I  have  not  gone.  But  upon 
that  day  when  I  heard  the  news  of  your  father  and 
brother's  murder  I  took  a  solemn  oath  to  heaven  of 
vengeance  against  their  slayers,  and  resolved  that  on  my 
return  to  England  I  would  buy  out  my  partners  in  the 
Good  Venture,  and  with  her  join  the  beggars  of  the  sea 
and  wage  war  to  the  death  against  the  Spaniards.  It 
has  been  willed  otherwise,  wife.  Within  twenty-four 
hours  of  my  taking  that  oath  I  was  struck  down,  and  my 
fighting  powers  were  gone  forever. 

"  My  oath  was  not  accepted.     I   was  not  to  be  an 

instrument  of  God's  vengeance  upon  these  murderers. 

Now,  our  son,  without  word  or  consultation  with  me, 

feels  called  upon  to  take  up  the  work  I  cannot  perform. 

It  happens  strangely  that  he  can  for  the  next  two  or  three 
8 


114  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

years  be  well  spared  from  his  life  at  sea.  That  the  boy 
will  do  great  feats  I  do  not  suppose ;  but  he  is  cool  and 
courageous,  for  I  marked  his  demeanor  under  fii-e  the 
other  day.  And  it  may  be  that  though  he  may  do  no 
great  things  in  fighting  he  may  be  the  means  in  saving 
some  woman,  some  child,  from  the  fury  of  the  Spaniards. 
If  he  saved  but  one,  the  next  three  yeai-s  of  his  life  will 
not  have  been  misspent." 

"  But  he  may  fall — he  may  be  killed  by  the  Span- 
iards !  "     Mistress  Martin  said  in  great  agitation. 

"  If  it  be  the  will  of  God,  wife,  not  otherwise.  He  is 
exposed  to  danger  every  time  he  goes  to  sea.  More  than 
once  since  he  first  came  on  board,  the  Venture  has  been 
in  dire  peril ;  who  can  say  that  her  next  voyage  may  not 
be  her  last.  However,  I  decide  nothing  now;  to- 
morrow I  will  speak  to  the  boy  myself  and  gather  from 
his  words  whether  this  is  a  mere  passing  fancy,  natural 
enough  to  his  age  and  to  the  times,  or  a  deep  longing  to 
venture  his  life  in  the  cause  of  a  persecuted  people  whose 
blood  runs  in  his  veins,  and  who  have  a  faith  which  is 
his  own  and  ours." 

Mrs.  Martin  said  no  more ;  her  husband's  will  had, 
since  she  married,  been  in  all  matters  of  importance  law 
to  her,  and  was  more  so  than  ever  now  that  he  lay  weak 
and  helpless.  His  words  and  manner  too  had  much 
impressed  her.  Her  whole  sympathies  were  passionately 
with  her  countrymen,  and  the  heavy  losses  she  had  so 
recently  sustained  had  added  vastly  to  her  hatred  of  the 
Spaniards.  The  suggestion,  too,  of  her  husband  that 
though  Ned  might  do  no  great  deeds  as  a  soldier  he 
might  be  the  means  of  saving  some  woman  or  child's 
life,  appealed  to  her  womanl)'^  feelings. 

She  had  girls  of  her  own,  and  the  thought  that  one  of 
like  age  might  possibly  be  saved  from  the  horrors  of  the 


^r  PIKH  ANl)  DTKM  115 

sack  of  a  city  by  Ned's  assistance  appealed  to  her  with 
great  force.  She  went  about  the  house  for  the  rest  of 
the  day  subdued  and  quiet.  Ned  was  puzzled  at  her 
demeanor,  and  had  he  not  seen  for  himself  that  his  father 
was  progressing  satisfactorily  he  would  have  thought 
that  some  relapse  had  taken  place,  some  unfavorable 
symptom  appeared.  But  this  was  clearl}'  not  the  reason, 
and  he  could  only  fancy  that  now  his  mother's  anxiety 
as  to  his  father's  state  was  in  some  degree  abating,  she 
was  beginning  to  feel  the  loss  of  her  father  and  brothera 
all  the  more. 

That  the  request  she  had  promised  to  make  in  his 
name  to  his  father  had  anything  to  do  with  the  matter 
did  not  enter  his  mind.  Indeed,  he  had  begun  to  regret 
that  he  had  made  it.  Not  that  his  intense  longing  to 
take  service  against  the  Spaniards  was  in  any  way  abated, 
but  he  felt  it  was  selfish,  now  that  he  might  for  the  first 
time  be  of  real  use  to  his  parents,  for  him  thus  to  propose 
to  embark  in  adventures  on  his  own  account.  He  had 
asked  his  mother  to  put  the  matter  before  liis  father,  but 
he  had  scarce  even  a  hope  the  latter  would  for  a  mo- 
ment listen  to  the  proposal.  The  next  morning  after 
breakfast,  as  he  was  about  to  start  for  a  stroll  to  the 
wharf  to  have  a  talk  with  Peters,  his  mother  said  to  him 
quietly :  "  Put  aside  your  cap,  Ned,  your  father  wishes 
to  speak  to  you." 

She  spoke  so  gravely  that  Ned  ascended  the  stairs  in 
some  perturbation  of  spirit.  Doubtless  she  had  spoken 
to  his  father,  and  the  latter  was  about  to  rate  him  se- 
verely for  his  folly  in  proposing  to  desert  his  duty,  and  to 
embark  in  so  wild  an  adventure  as  that  he  had  proposed. 
He  was  in  no  way  reassured  by  the  grave  tone  in  which 
his  father  said : 

"  Place  that  chair  by  my  bedside,  Ned,  and  sit  down 


Il6  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKH. 

my  voice  is  not  strong  and  it  fatigues  me  to  speak  loud. 
And  now,"  he  went  on,  when  Ned  with  a  shamefaced 
expression  had  seated  himself  by  the  bedside, "  this  desire 
that  your  mother  tells  me  of  to  fight  against  the  Span- 
iards for  a  time  in  the  service  of  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
how  did  it  first  come  to  you?  " 

"  Ever  since  I  heard  the  terrible  story  of  the  persecu- 
tions here,"  Ned  replied.  "  I  said  to  myself  then  when 
I  came  to  be  a  man  I  would  take  revenge  for  these 
horrible  murders.  Since  then  the  more  I  have  heard  of 
the  persecutions  that  the  people  here  have  suffered  in 
the  cause  of  their  religion,  the  more  I  have  longed  to  be 
able  to  give  them  such  aid  as  I  could.  I  have  spoken 
of  it  over  and  over  again  to  my  sisters ;  but  I  do  not 
think  that  I  should  ever  have  ventured  to  put  my  desire 
into  words,  had  it  not  been  for  the  terrible  news  he 
learned  at  Vordwyk.  Now,  however,  that  they  have 
killed  my  grandfather  and  uncles  and  have  wounded  you, 
I  long  more  than  ever  to  join  the  patriots  here  ;  and  of 
course  the  knowledge  that  many  young  Englishmen  were 
coming  out  to  Brill  and  Flushing  as  volunteers  added 
to  my  desire.  I  said  to  myself  if  they  who  are  English 
are  ready  to  give  their  lives  in  the  cause  of  the  Holland- 
ers, why  should  not  I,  who  speak  their  language  and 
am  of  their  blood  ?  " 

"  You  have  no  desire  to  do  great  deeds  or  to  distin- 
guish yourself  ?  "     Captain  Martin  asked. 

"  No,  father  ;  I  have  never  so  much  as  thought  of  that. 
I  could  not  imagine  that  I,  as  a  boy,  could  be  of  any  great 
service.  I  thought  I  might,  perhaps,  being  so  young, 
be  able  to  be  of  use  in  passing  among  the  Spaniards  and 
carrying  messages  where  a  man  could  not  get  through. 
I  thought  sometimes  I  might  perhaps  cany  a  warning 
in  time  to  enable  women  to  escape  with  their  children 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  117 

from  a  town  that  was  about  to  be  beleaguered,  and  I 
hoped  that  if  I  did  stand  in  the  ranks  to  face  the  Spani- 
ards I  should  not  disgrace  my  nation  and  blood.  I 
know,  father,  that,  it  was  presumptuous  for  me  to  think 
that  I  could  be  of  any  real  use  ;  and  if  you  are  against 
it  I  will,  of  course,  as  I  told  my  mother,  submit  myself 
cheerfully  to  your  wishes." 

"  1  am  glad  to  see,  Ned,  that  in  this  matter  you  are 
actuated  by  right  motives,  and  not  moved  by  any  boyish 
idea  of  adventure  or  of  doing  feats  of  valor.  This  is  no 
ordinary  war,  my  boy.  There  is  none  of  the  chivalry 
of  past  times  in  the  struggle  here.  It  is  one  of  life 
and  death — grim,  earnest,  and  determined.  On  one 
side  is  Philip  with  the  hosts  of  Spain,  the  greatest 
power  in  Europe,  determined  to  crush  out  the  life 
of  these  poor  provinces,  to  stamp  out  the  religion  of  the 
country,  to  leave  not  one  man,  woman,  or  child  alive 
who  refuses  to  attend  mass  and  to  bow  the  knee  before 
the  Papist  images ;  on  the  other  side  you  have  a  poor 
people  tenanting  a  land  snatched  from  the  sea,  and  held 
by  constant  and  enduring  labor,  equally  determined  that 
they  will  not  abjure  their  religion,  that  they  will  not 
permit  the  Inquisition  to  be  established  among  them, 
and  ready  to  give  lives  and  homes  and  all  in  the  cause 
of  religious  liberty.  They  have  no  thought  of  throwing 
off  their  allegiance  to  Spain,  if  Spain  will  but  be  toler- 
ant. The  Prince  of  Orange  issues  his  orders  and  proc- 
lamations as  the  stadholder  and  lieutenant  of  the  king, 
and  declares  that  he  is  warring  for  Philip,  and  designs 
only  to  repel  those  who,  by  their  persecution  and 
cruelty,  are  dishonoring  the  royal  cause. 

"  This  cannot  go  on  forever,  and  in  time  the  Nether- 
lands will  be  driven  to  entreat  some  other  foreign  mon- 
^rqh  tp  t^k^  them  under  his  protection.    In  this  war 


118  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

there  is  no  talk  of  glory.  Men  are  fighting  for  cheir 
religion,  their  homes,  their  wives  and  families.  They 
know  that  the  Spaniards  show  neither  quarter  nor 
mercy,  and  that  it  is  scarce  more  tlian  a  question  be- 
tween death  by  the  sword  and  death  by  torture  and 
hanging.  There  is  no  mercy  for  prisoners.  The 
town  that  yields  on  good  conditions  is  sacked  and  de- 
stroyed as  is  one  taken  by  storm,  for  in  no  case  have 
the  Spaniards  observed  the  conditions  they  have  made, 
deeming  oaths  taken  to  heretics  to  be  in  no  way  binding 
on  their  consciences. 

"  Thus,  Ned,  those  who  embark  upon  this  war  engage 
in  a  struggle  in  which  there  is  no  honor,  nor  glory,  nor 
fame,  nor  reward  to  be  won,  but  one  in  which  almost  cer- 
tain death  stares  them  in  the  face,  and  which,  so  far  as  I 
can  see,  can  end  only  in  the  annihilation  of  this  country, 
or  in  the  expulsion  of  the  Spaniards.  I  do  not  say  that 
there  is  no  glory  to  be  gained ;  but  it  is  not  pei-sonal 
glory.  In  itself,  no  cause  was  ever  more  glorious  than 
that  of  men  who  struggle,  not  to  conquer  territory,  not 
to  gather  spoil,  not  to  gratify  ambition,  but  for  freedom, 
for  religion,  for  hearth  and  home,  and  to  revenge  the 
countless  atrocities  inflicted  upon  them  by  their  op- 
pressors. After  what  I  have  said,  do  you  still  wish  to 
embark  upon  this  struggle  ?  " 

"  I  do  wish  it,  father,"  Ned  said  firmly.  "  I  desire  it 
above  all  things,  if  you  and  my  mother  can  spare  me." 

Captain  Martin  then  repeated  to  Ned  the  reasons  that 
he  had  given  his  wife  for  consenting  to  his  carrying  out 
his  wishes  :  the  fact  that  there  was  no  place  for  him  at 
present  on  board  the  Good  Venture,  the  oath  of  venge- 
ance upon  the  Spaniards  that  he  had  taken,  and  his 
impression  that  although  he  himself  could  not  carry  out 
that  oath,  its  weight  had  been  transferred  to  his  son. 


ST  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  119 

whose  desire  to  take  up  the  work  he  had  intended  to 
carry  out,  just  at  this  moment,  seemed  to  him  to  be  a 
special  design  of  Providence. 

"  Now  Ned,"  lie  concluded,  "  you  understand  the 
reasons  that  sway  me  in  giving  my  consent  to  your 
desire  to  do  what  you  can  for  the  cause  of  religion  and 
liberty.  I  do  not  propose  that  you  should  at  present 
actually  take  up  arms  that  I  question  if  you  are  strong 
enough  to  wield.  I  will  pray  the  burgomaster  to  give 
you  letters  of  introduction  to  the  prince,  saying  you  are 
a  young  Englishman  ready  and  desirous  of  doing  all 
that  lies  in  your  power  for  the  cause ;  that  you  speak 
the  language  as  a  native,  and  will  be  ready  to  carry  his 
messages  wheresoever  he  may  require  them  to  be  sent ; 
that  you  can  be  relied  upon  to  be  absolutely  faithful, 
and  have  entered  the  cause  in  no  light  spirit  or  desire 
for  personal  credit  or  honor,  but  as  one  who  has 
suffered  great  wrong  in  the  loss  of  near  relatives  at  the 
hands  of  the  Spaniards,  and  is  wishful  only  of  giving 
such  services  as  he  can  to  the  cause. 

"  It  may  be  that  coming  with  such  recommendation 
the  prince  will  see  some  way  in  which  he  can  turn  your 
services  to  account.  And  now  leave  me,  ray  boy.  I 
am  wearied  with  all  this  talking ;  and  although  I  deem 
that  it  is  not  my  duty  to  withstand  your  wishes,  it  is  no 
slight  trial  to  see  my  only  son  embark  in  so  terrible  and 
perilous  an  adventure  as  this.  But  the  cause  I  i-egard 
as  a  sacred  one,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  I  have  no  right 
to  keep  you  from  entering  upon  it,  as  your  mind  lies 
that  way." 

Ned  left  the  room  greatly  impressed  with  his  father's 
words.  He  was  glad  indeed  that  the  permission  he  had 
asked  for  had  been  granted,  and  that  he  was  free  to 
devote  himself  to  the  cause  so  dear  to  most  Englishmen, 


120  ST  PIKS  AND  DTKS. 

and  doubly  so  to  him  from  his  relations  with  the 
country.  Sailing  backward  and  forward  to  the  various 
ports  in  the  Netherlands,  and  able  to  hold  intercourae 
with  all  he  met,  he  had  for  years  been  listening  to  tales 
of  atrocity  and  horror,  until  he  had  come  to  regard  the 
Spaniards  as  human  monsters,  and  to  long  with  all  his 
heart  and  strength  to  be  able  to  join  the  oppressed 
people  against  their  tyrants. 

Now  he  had  got  permission  to  do  so.  But  he  felt 
more  than  he  had  done  before  the  serious  nature  of  the 
step  which  he  was  taking  ;  and  although  he  did  not  for 
a  moment  regret  the  choice  he  had  made,  he  was  con- 
scious of  its  importance  and  of  the  solemn  nature  of  the 
duties  he  took  upon  himself  in  thus  engaging  in  the 
struggle  between  the  Netherlands  and  Spain.  He  passed 
the  room  where  his  mother  was  sitting,  went  over  and 
kissed  her,  and  then  taking  his  cap  passed  out  into  the 
street  and  mounted  the  ramparts,  where  he  could  think 
undisturbed.  His  father's  words  had  not  shaken  his 
determination,  although  they  had  depressed  his  enthu- 
siasm ;  but  as  he  paced  up  and  down,  with  the  fresh  air 
from  the  sea  blowing  upon  his  cheek,  the  feeling  of 
youth  and  strength  soon  sent  the  blood  dancing  through 
his  veins  again.  His  cheeks  flushed,  and  his  eyes 
brightened. 

"  There  is  honor  and  glory  in  the  struggle,"  he  said. 
"  Did  not  the  people,  old  and  young,  pour  out  to  the 
Crusades  to  wrest  Jerusalem  from  the  hands  of  the 
infidels  ?  This  is  a  more  glorious  task.  It  is  to  save 
God's  followers  from  destruction  ;  to  succor  the  op- 
pressed ;  to  fight  for  women  and  children  as  well  as  for 
men.  It  is  a  holier  and  nobler  object  than  that  for 
which  the  Crusaders  fought.  They  died  in  hundreds 
of  thousands  by  heat,  by  famine,  thirst,  and  the  swords 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  121 

of  the  enemy.  Few  of  those  who  fought  ever  returned 
liorae  to  reap  glory  for  their  deeds  ;  but  there  was  honor 
for  those  who  fell.  And  in  the  same  spirit  in  which 
even  women  and  children  left  their  homes,  and  went  in 
crowds  to  die  for  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  so  will  I  venture 
my  life  for  religion  and  freedom  here." 

An  hour  later  he  returned  home ;  he  could  see  that 
his  mother  had  been  crying. 

"  Mother,"  he  said,  "  I  trust  you  will  not  grieve  over 
this.  I  have  been  thinking  how  the  women  of  the  early 
days  sent  their  husbands  and  sons  and  lovers  to  fight 
for  the  Holy  Sepulcher.  I  think  that  this  cause  is  an 
even  greater  and  more  noble  one ;  and  feel  sure  that 
though  you  may  be  anxious,  you  will  not  grudge  me  to 
do  my  best  for  our  religion  and  country  people." 

"  Truly  I  think  it  is  a  holy  cause,  my  boy  ;  and  after 
what  your  father  has  said,  I  would  not  if  I  could  say 
nay.  I  can  only  pray  that  heaven  will  bless  and  keep 
you,  and  one  day  restore  you  to  me.  But  you  will  not 
be  always  fighting,  Ned.  There  is  no  saying  how  long 
the  struggle  may  last ;  and  if  I  let  you  go,  it  is  with 
the  promise  that  at  one-and-twenty  at  the  latest,  you 
will  return  to  us,  and  take  your  place  again  as  your 
father's  right  hand  and  mine." 

"  I  promise  you,  mother,  that  then,  or  if  at  any  time 
before  that  you  write  and  say  to  me  come  home,  I  will 
come." 

"  I  am  content  with  that,"  his  mother  said. 

That  afternoon  Ned  told  Peters  what  had  been  de- 
cided, and  the  following  morning  the  latter  had  a  long 
talk  with  Captain  Martin,  who  directed  him  to  apply  to 
the  other  owners  of  the  ship  to  appoint  him  an  able  first 
mate,  and  also  to  choose  one  of  their  clerks  in  whom 
they  had  confidence  to  sail  in  the  vessel  as  supercargo. 


122  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

"  The  doctors  tell  me,  Peters,  that  in  two  or  three 
months  I  may  be  able  to  return -home  and  to  get  about 
on  crutches  ,  but  they  advise  me  that  it  will  be  at  least 
another  four  montlis  before  I  can  strap  on  a  wooden 
leg  and  trust  my  weight  to  it.  When  I  can  do  that,  I 
shall  see  how  I  can  get  about.  You  heard  from  Ned 
last  night  that  he  is  going  to  enter  as  a  sort  of  volunteer 
under  the  Prince  of  Orange  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  told  me.  Captain  Martin.  He  is  a  lad  of 
spirit ;  and  if  I  were  fifteen  years  younger  I  would  go 
with  him." 

"  He  is  young  for  such  work  yet,"  Captain  Martin 
said  doubtfully. 

"  He  is  a  strong  youth.  Captain  Martin,  and  can  do  a 
man's  work.  His  training  at  sea  has  made  him  steady 
and  cool ;  and  I  warrant  me,  if  he  gets  into  danger,  he 
will  get  out  again  if  there  is  a  chance.  1  only  hope. 
Captain  Martin,  that  the  brush  we  have  had  with  the 
Spaniards  will  not  be  our  last,  and  that  we  too  may  be 
in  the  way  of  striking  a  blow  at  the  Spaniards." 

"  I  hope  that  we  may,  Peters,"  Captain  Martin  said 
earnestly.  "  My  mind  is  as  much  bent  upon  it  as  is 
Ned's  and  I  will  tell  you  what  must  at  present  be  known 
only  to  yourself,  that  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  if 
I  recover,  and  can  take  command  of  the  Good  Venture 
again,  I  will  buy  up  the  other  shares,  so  that  I  can  do 
what  I  like  with  her  without  accounting  to  any  man. 
I  need  not  do  so  much  on  board  as  I  used  to  do,  but 
will  get  you  a  good  second  mate,  and  will  myself  only 
direct.  Then  we  will,  as  at  present,  trade  between 
London  and  the  Netherlands ;  but  if,  as  is  likely  enough, 
the  Spaniards  and  Hollanders  come  to  blows  at  sea,  or 
the  prince  needs  ships  to  carry  troops  to  beljeaguered 
towns,  then  for  a  time  we  will  quit  trading  and  will 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  123 

join  with  the  Good  Venture,  and  strike  a  blow  at 
sea." 

"  That  is  good  hearing, 'Captain  Martin,"  Peters  said, 
rubbing  his  hands.  "I  warrant  me  you  will  not  find 
one  of  the  crew  backward  at  that  work,  and  for  my  part 
I  should  like  nothing  better  than  to  tackle  a  Spaniard 
who  does  not  carry  more  than  two  or  three  times  our 
own  strength.  The  last  fellow  was  a  good  deal  too  big 
for  us,  but  I  believe  if  we  had  stuck  to  him  we  should 
have  beaten  him  in  the  end,  big  as  he  was." 

"  Perhaps  we  miglit,  Peters ;  but  the  ship  was  not 
mine  to  risk  then,  and  we  had  cargo  on  board.  If,  in 
the  future,  we  meet  a  Spaniard  when  the  ship  is  mine 
to  venture,  and  our  hold  is  clear,  the  Good  Venture 
shall  not  show  him  her  stern  I  warrant  you,  unless  he 
be  big  enough  to  eat  us." 

On  the  following  day  the  Good  Venture  set  sail  for 
England,  and  the  burgomaster  having  received  a  mes- 
sage from  Captain  Martin,  praying  him  to  call  upon 
him,  paid  him  a  visit.  Captain  Martin  unfolded  his 
son's  plans  to  him,  and  prayed  him  to  furnish  him  with 
a  letter  to  the  prince  recommending  him  as  one  who 
might  be  trusted,  and  who  was  willing  to  risk  his  life 
upon  any  enterprise  with  which  he  might  intrust  him. 
This  the  burgomaster  at  once  consented  to  do. 

"  Younger  lads  than  he,"  he  said, "  have  fought  stoutly 
on  the  walls  of  some  of  our  towns  against  the  Spaniards  ; 
and  since  such  is  his  wish,  I  doubt  not  he  will  be  able 
to  do  good  service.  All  Holland  has  heard  how  your 
ship  beat  off  the  Don  Pedro  ;  and  the  fact  that  the  lad 
is  your  son,  and  took  part  in  the  fight,  will  at  once 
commend  him  to  the  prince.  All  Englishmen  are  gladly 
received ;  not  only  because  they  come  to  fight  as  volun- 
teers on  our  side,  but  as  a  pledge  that  the  heart  of 


124  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

England  is  with  us,  and  that  sooner  or  later  she  will  join 
us  in  our  struggle  against  Spain.  And  doubtless,  as 
you  say,  the  fact  that  the  lad  is  by  his  mother's  side 
one  of  us,  and  that  he  can  converse  in  both  our  language 
and  yours  with  equal  ease,  is  greatly  in  his  favor.  To- 
morrow I  will  furnish  him  with  letters  to  the  prince, 
and  also  to  two  or  tlu'ee  gentlemen  of  my  acquaintances, 
who  are  in  the  prince's  councils." 

When  the  burgomaster  had  left,  Captain  Martin  called 
Ned  in. 

"  Now,  you  are  going  as  a  volunteer,  Ned,  and  for  a 
time,  at  any  rate,  there  must  be  no  question  of  pay ;  you 
are  giving  your  services  and  not  selling  them.  In  the 
first  place  you  must  procure  proper  attire,  in  which  to 
present  yourself  to  the  prince  ;  you  must  also  purchase 
a  helmet,  breast  and  back  pieces,  with  sword  and  pistols. 
As  for  money,  I  shall  give  you  a  purse  with  sufficient 
for  your  present  needs,  and  a  letter  which  you  can  pre- 
sent to  any  of  the  merchants  in  the  seaports  with  whom 
we  have  trade,  authorizing  you  to  draw  upon  me,  and 
praying  them  to  honor  your  drafts.  Do  not  stint  your- 
self of  money,  and  do  not  be  extravagant.  Your  needs 
will  be  small,  and  when  serving  in  a  garrison  or  in  the 
field  you  will,  of  course,  draw  rations  like  others.  I 
need  not  give  you  a  list  of  the  merchants  in  the  various 
towns,  since  you  already  know  them,  and  have  been 
with  me  at  many  of  their  places  of  business. 

In  regard  to  your  actions,  I  say  to  you  do  not  court 
danger,  but  do  not  avoid  it.  The  cause  is  a  good  one, 
and  you  are  risking  your  life  for  it ;  but  remember  also 
that  you  are  an  only  son,  and  there  are  none  to  fill  your 
place  if  you  fall.  Therefore  be  not  rash ;  keep  always 
cool  in  danger,  and  if  there  is  a  prospect  of  escape  seize 
it  promptly.     Remember  that  your  death  can  in  no  way 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  125 

benefit  Holland,  while  your  life  may  do  so  ;  therefore  do 
not  from  any  mistaken  sense  of  heroism  throw  away  your 
life  in  vain  defense  when  all  hope  of  success  is  over,  but 
rather  seek  some  means  of  escape  by  which,  when  all  is 
lost,  you  can  manage  to  avoid  the  vengeance  of  the  Span- 
iards. I  fear  that  there  will  be  many  defeats  before 
success  can  be  obtained,  for  there  is  no  union  among  the 
various  states  or  cities. 

"  Holland  and  Zeeland  alone  seem  in  earnest  in  the 
cause,  though  Friesland  and  Guelderland  will  perhaps 
join  heartily  ;  but  these  provinces  alone  are  really  Protest- 
ant, in  the  other  the  Catholics  predominate,  and  I  fear 
they  will  never  join  heartily  in  resistance  to  Spain.  How 
this  narrow  strip  of  land  by  the  sea  is  to  resist  all  the 
power  of  Spain  I  cannot  see  ;  but  I  believe  in  the  people 
and  in  their  spirit,  and  am  convinced  that  sooner  than  fall 
again  into  the  grasp  of  the  Inquisition  they  will  open 
the  sluices  and  let  the  sea  in  over  the  country  they  have 
so  hardly  won  from  it,  and  will  embark  on  board  ship 
and  seek  in  some  other  country  that  liberty  to  worship 
God  in  their  own  way  that  is  denied  them  here." 

It  was  not  necessary  to  purchase  many  articles  of  cloth- 
ing, for  the  dress  of  the  people  of  Holland  differed  little 
from  that  of  the  English.  Ned  bought  a  thick  buff  jerkin 
to  wear  under  his  armor,  and  had  little  difficulty  in  buy- 
ing steel  cap,  breast  and  back  piece,  sword  and  pistol ; 
for  the  people  of  Holland  had  not  as  yet  begun  to  arm 
generally,  and  many  of  the  walls  were  defended  by 
burghers  in  their  citizen  dress,  against  the  mail-clad 
pikemen  of  Spain. 

Three  days  later  Ned  took  a  tearful  farewell  of  his 
family,  and  set  sail  in  a  small  vessel  bound  for  Rotter- 
dam, where  the  Prince  of  Orange  at  present  was.  The 
voyage  was  jnade  without  adventure,  and  upon  landing 


126  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

Ned  at  once  made  his  way  to  the  house  occupied  by  the 
prince.  There  were  no  guards  at  the  gate,  or  any  sign 
of  martial  pomp.  The  door  stood  open,  and  when  Ned 
entered  a  page  accosted  him  and  asked  him  his  business. 

"  I  have  letters  for  the  prince,"  he  said,  "  which  I 
pray  you  to  hand  to  him  when  he  is  at  leisure." 

"  In  that  case  you  would  have  to  wait  long,"  the  page 
replied,  "  for  the  prince  is  at  work  from  early  morning 
until  late  at  night,  However,  he  is  always  open  of 
access  to  those  who  desire  to  see  him,  therefore  if  you 
will  give  me  the  name  of  the  writer  of  the  letter  you 
bear  I  will  inform  him,  and  you  can  then  deliver  it 
yourself."  A  minute  later  Ned  was  shown  into  the 
presence  of  the  man  who  was  undoubtedly  the  foremost 
of  his  age. 

Born  of  a  distinguished  family,  William  of  Orange 
had  been  brought  up  by  a  pious  mother,  and  at  the  age 
of  twelve  had  become  a  page  in  the  family  of  the  Em- 
peror Charles.  So  great  was  the  boy's  ability,  that  at 
fifteen  he  had  become  the  intimate  and  almost  confiden- 
tial friend  of  the  emperor,  who  was  a  keen  judge  of 
merit. 

Before  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was 
named  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  on  the  French 
frontier.  When  the  Emperor  Charles  resigned,  the 
prince  was  appointed  by  Philip  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with 
France,  and  had  conducted  these  negotiations  with 
extreme  ability.  The  prince  and  the  Duke  of  Alva 
remained  in  France  as  hostages  for  the  execution  of  the 
treaty.  Alva  was  secretly  engaged  in  arranging  an 
agreement  between  Philip  and  Henry  for  the  extirpation 
of  Protestantism,  and  the  general  destruction  of  all 
those  who  held  that  faith.  The  French  king,  believ- 
ing that  the  Prince  of  Orange  was  also  in  the  secret^ 


£r  PIKE  AND  DTKM.  127 

spoke  to  him  one  day  when  out  hunting  freely  on  the 
subject,  and  gave  him  all  the  details  of  the  understand- 
ing that  had  been  entered  into  for  a  general  massacre 
of  the  Protestants  throughout  the  dominions  of  France 
and  Spain. 

The  Prince  of  Orange  neither  by  word  or  look  indicat- 
ed that  all  this  was  new  to  him,  and  the  king  remained 
in  ignorance  of  how  completely  he  had  betrayed  the 
plans  of  himself  and  Philip.  It  was  his  presence  of 
mind  and  reticence,  while  listening  to  this  astounding 
relation,  that  gained  for  the  Prince  of  Orange  the  title 
of  William  the  Silent.  Horror-struck  at  the  plot  he  had 
discovered,  the  prince  from  that  moment  threw  himself 
into  the  cause  of  the  Protestants  of  the  Netherlands, 
and  speedily  became  the  head  of  the  movement,  devoting 
his  whole  property  and  his  life  to  the  object.  So  far 
it  had  brought  him  only  trials  and  troubles. 

His  estate  and  that  of  his  brothers  had  been  spent  in 
the  service  ;  he  had  incurred  enormous  debts ;  the  armies 
of  German  mercenaries  he  had  raised  had  met  with  defeat 
and  ruin  ;  the  people  of  the  Netherlands,  crushed  down 
with  the  apathy  of  despair,  had  not  lifted  a  finger  to 
assist  the  forces  that  had  marched  to  their  aid.  It  was 
only  when  almost  by  an  accident  Brill  had  been  captured 
by  the  sea  beggars  that  the  spark  he  had  for  so  many 
years  been  trying  to  fan  burst  into  flame  in  the  provinces 
of  Holland  and  Zeeland. 

The  prince  had  been  sustained  through  his  long  and 
hitherto  fruitless  struggle  by  a  deep  sense  of  religion. 
He  believed  that  God  was  with  him  and  would  eventually 
save  the  people  of  the  Netherlands  from  the  fate  to  which 
Philip  had  doomed  them.  And  yet,  though  an  ardent 
Protestant,  and  in  an  age  when  Protestants  were  well 
nigh  as  bigoted  as  Catholics,  and  when  the  idea  of  relig- 


123  BT  PiK^  AND  DYKE. 

ious  freedom  had  scarce  entered  into  the  minds  of  men, 
the  prince  was  perfectly  tolerant,  and  from  the  first 
insisted  that  in  all  the  provinces  over  which  he  exercised 
authority  the  same  perfect  freedom  of  worship  should  be 
granted  to  the  Catholics  that  he  claimed  for  the  Protest- 
ants in  the  Catholic  states  of  the  Netherlands. 

He  had  not  always  been  a  Protestant.  When  appoint- 
ed by  Philip  stadtholder  of  Holland,  Friesland,  Utrecht, 
he  had  been  a  moderate  Catholic.  But  his  thoughts 
were  but  little  turned  to  religious  subjects,  and  it  was 
as  a  patriot  and  a  man  of  humane  nature  that  he  had  been 
shocked  at  the  discoveiy  that  he  had  made,  of  the  deter- 
mination of  the  kings  of  France  and  Spain  to  extirpate 
the  Protestants.  He  used  this  knowledge  firet  to  secretly 
urge  the  people  of  the  Netherlands  to  agitate  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  Spanish  troops  from  the  country  ;  and  al- 
though he  had  secret  instructions  from  Philip  to  enforce 
the  edicts  against  all  heretics  with  vigor,  he  avoided 
doing  so  as  much  as  was  in  his  power,  and  sent  private 
warnings  to  many  whom  he  knew  to  be  in  danger  of 
arrest. 

As  governor  of  the  Netherlands  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six,  he  was  rich,  powerful,  and  of  sovereign  rank.  He 
exercised  a  splendid  hospitality,  and  was  universally 
beloved  by  the  whole  community  for  the  charm  of  his 
manner  and  his  courtesy  to  people  of  all  ranks.  Even 
at  this  period  the  property  which  he  had  inherited  from 
his  father,  and  that  he  had  received  with  his  first  wife, 
Anne  of  Egmont,  the  richest  heiress  of  the  Netherlands, 
had  been  seriously  affected  by  his  open-handed  hospi- 
tality and  lavish  expenditure.  His  intellect  was  acknowl- 
edged to  be  of  the  highest  class.  He  had  extraordi- 
nary adroitness  and  capacity  for  conducting  state  affairs. 
His  knowledge  of  human  nature  was  profound.     He 


BT  PtKE  AND  DT^W.  129 

had  studied  deeply,  and  spoke  and  wrote  with  facility 
Latin,  French,  German,  Flemish,  and  Spanish. 

The  epithet  Silent  was  in  no  way  applicable  to  his 
general  character.  He  could  be  silent  when  speech  was 
dangerous,  but  at  other  times  he  was  a  most  cheerful  and 
charming  companion,  and  in  public  the  most  eloquent 
orator  and  the  most  brilliant  controversialist  of  his  age. 
Thirteen  years  had  passed  since  then,  thirteen  years 
spent  in  incessant  troubles  and  struggles.  The  brilliant 
governor  of  Philip  in  theNetherlands  had  for  years  been 
an  exile ;  the  careless  Catholic  had  become  an  earnest 
and  sincere  Protestant;  the  wealthy  noble  had  been 
harassed  with  the  pecuniary  burdens  he  had  undertaken 
in  order  to  raise  troops  for  the  rescue  of  his  country- 
men. 

He  had  seen  his  armies  defeated,  his  plans  overthrown, 
his  countrymen  massacred  by  tens  of  thousands,  his  core- 
ligionists burnt,  hung,  and  tortured,  and  it  was  only 
now  that  the  spirit  of  resistance  was  awakening  among 
his  countrymen.  But  misfortune  and  trial  had  not 
soured  his  temper:  his  faith  that  sooner  or  later  the 
cause  would  triumph  had  never  wavered.  His  patience 
was  inexhaustible,  his  temper  beyond  proof.  The  in- 
capacity of  many  in  whom  he  had  trusted,  the  jealousies 
and  religious  differences  which  prevented  anything  like 
union  between  the  various  states,  the  narrowness  and 
jealousy  even  of  those  most  faithful  to  the  cause,  would 
have  driven  most  men  to  despair. 

Upon  his  shoulders  alone  rested  the  whole  weight  of 
the  struggle.  It  was  for  him  to  plan  and  carry  out,  to 
negotiate  with  princes,  to  organize  troops,  to  raise  money 
to  compose  jealousies,  to  rouse  the  lukewarm  and  appeal 
to  the  waverers.  Every  detail,  great  and  small,  had  to 
be  elaborated  by  him.  So  far  it  was  not  the  Netherlands 
9 


130  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

it  was  William  of  Orange  alone  who  opposed  himself  to 
the  might  of  the  greatest  power  in  Europe. 

Such  was  the  prince  to  whom  Ned  Martin  was  now 
introduced,  and  it  was  with  a  sense  of  the  deepest  rev- 
erence that  he  entered  the  chamber.  He  saw  before  him 
a  man  looking  ten  years  older  than  he  really  was :  whose 
hair  was  grizzled  and  thin  from  thought  and  care,  whose 
narrow  face  was  deeply  marked  by  the  lines  of  anxiety 
and  trouble,  but  whose  smile  was  as  kindly,  whose  man- 
ner as  kind  and  gracious  as  that  which  had  distinguished 
it  when  William  was  the  brilliant  young  stadtholder  of 
the  Emperor  Philip. 


p.  &  D.  In  the  presence  of  WiUiam  the  Shent.— Page  130. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE,  131 


CHAPTER  VHo 

A  DANGEROUS  MISSIONo 

"I  HEAR  you  have  a  letter  for  me  from  my  good 
friend  the  burgomaster  of  Eiikhuizen,"  the  Prince  of 
Orange  said,  as  Ned  with  a  deep  reverence  approached 
the  table  at  which  he  was  sitting.  "  He  sends  me  no  ill 
news,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  No,  your  excellency,"  Ned  said :  "  it  is  on  a  matter 
personal  to  m3^self  that  he  has  been  good  enough  to  write 
to  you,  and  I  crave  your  pardon  beforehand  for  occupy- 
ing your  time  for  a  moment  with  so  unimportant  a  sub- 
ject." 

The  prince  glanced  at  him  keenly  as  he  was  speaking 
and  saw  that  the  young  fellow  before  him  was  using  no 
mere  form  of  words,  but  that  he  really  felt  embarrassed 
at  the  thought  that  he  was  intruding  upon  his  labors. 
He  opened  the  letter  and  glanced  down  it. 

"  Ah !  you  are  English,"  he  said  in  surprise.  "  I  thought 
you  a  countrj'^man  of  mine." 

"  My  mother  is  from  Holland,  sir,'*  Ned  replied ;  "and 
has  brought  me  up  to  speak  her  language  as  well  as  my 
father's  and  to  feel  that  Holland  is  my  country  as  much 
as  England." 

"  And  you  are  the  son  of  the  English  Captain,  who, 
lately,  as  I  heard,  being  stopped  in  his  passage  down  the 
Zuider-Zee  by  the  Spanish  ship  Don  Pedro,  defended 
himself  so  stoutly  that  he  inflicted  great  loss  and  dam- 
age upon  the  Spaniard,  and  brought  his  ship  into  Enk- 


132  ^T  PliE  Ann  DTKS. 

huizen  without  further  damage  than  a  grievous  wound 
to  himself.  The  burgomaster  tells  me  that  you  are 
anxious  to  enter  my  service  as  a  volunteer,  and  that  you 
have  the  permission  of  your  parents  to  do  so.  Many  of 
your  brave  compatriots  are  already  coming  over ;  and  I 
am  glad  indeed  of  their  aid,  which  I  regard  as  an  omen 
that  England  will  some  day  bestir  herself  on  our  behalf. 
But  you  look  young  for  such  rough  work,  young  sir. 
I  should  not  take  you  for  more  than  eighteen." 

"  I  am  not  yet  eighteen,  sir,"  Ned  said,  although  he 
did  not  think  it  necessary  to  mention  that  he  still  want- 
ed two  years  to  that  age.  "  But  even  children  and 
women  have  aided  in  the  defense  of  their  towns." 

"  It  is  somewhat  strange,"  the  prince  said,  "•  that  your 
parents  should  have  countenanced  your  thus  embarking 
in  this  matter  at  so  young  an  age." 

"  The  Spaniards  have  murdered  my  grandfather,  three 
of  my  uncles,  and  an  aunt ;  and  my  father  would,  had  it 
not  been  that  he  is  disabled  by  the  wound  he  received, 
and  which  has  cost  him  the  loss  of  a  leg,  have  himself 
volunteered,"  Ned  replied.  "  But,  sir,  if  you  think  me 
too  young  as  yet  to  fight  in  the  ranks,  my  father  thought 
that  you  might  perhaps  make  use  of  me  in  other  ways. 
I  have  sailed  up  every  river  in  the  Netherlands,  having 
been  for  the  last  five  years  in  my  father's  ship  trading 
with  these  ports,  and  know  their  navigation  and  the 
depth  of  water.  If  you  have  lettei-s  that  j'ou  want  car- 
ried to  your  friends  in  Flanders,  and  would  intrust  them 
to  me,  I  would  deliver  them  faithfully  for  you  whatever 
the  risk ;  and  being  but  a  boy,  could  pass  perhaps  where 
a  man  would  be  suspected.  I  only  ask,  sir,  to  be  put  to 
such  use  as  you  can  make  of  me,  whatever  it  may  be, 
deeming  my  life  but  of  slight  account  in  so  great  and 
good  a  cause." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  133 

"  No  man  can  offer  more,"  the  prince  said  kindly.  "  I 
like  your  face,  young  sir,  and  can  see  at  once  that  you 
can  be  trusted,  and  that  you  have  entered  upon  this  mat- 
ter in  a  serious  spirit.  Your  father  has  proved  himself 
to  be  a  brave  fighter  and  a  skillful  sailor,  and  I  doubt 
not  that  you  are  worthy  of  him.  Your  youth  is  no 
drawback  in  my  eyes,  seeing  that  I  myself,  long  before 
I  reached  your  age,  was  mixed  up  in  state  affairs,  and 
that  the  Emperor  Charles,  my  master,  did  not  disdain 
to  listen  to  my  opinions.  I  accept  your  offer  of  service 
in  the  name  of  the  Netherlands ;  and  deeming  that,  as 
you  say,  you  may  be  of  more  service  in  the  way  of 
which  you  have  spoken  than  were  I  to  attach  you  to 
one  of  the  regiments  I  am  raising,  I  will  for  the  present 
appoint  you  as  a  volunteer  attached  to  my  own  house- 
hold, and,  trust  me,  I  will  not  keep  you  long  in  idle- 
ness." He  touched  a  bell  and  the  page  entered.  "Take 
this  gentleman,"  he  said,  "  to  Count  Nieuwenar,  and 
tell  him  that  he  is  to  have  rank  as  a  gentleman  volunteer, 
and  will  at  present  remain  as  a  member  of  my  house- 
hold, and  be  treated  as  such." 

With  a  kindly  nod  he  dismissed  Ned,  who  was  so 
affected  by  the  kindness  of  manner  of  the  prince  that  he 
could  only  murmur  a  word  or  two  of  thanks  and  assur- 
ances of  devotion.  One  of  the  burgomaster's  letters,  of 
which  Ned  was  the  bearer,  was  to  Count  Nieuwenar,  the 
prince's  chamberlain,  and  when  the  page  introduced  him 
to  that  officer  with  the  message  the  prince  had  given  him 
Ned  handed  to  him  the  burgomaster's  letter.  The  count 
ran  his  eye  down  it. 

"  My  friend  the  burgomaster  speaks  highly  in  your 
praise,  young  sir,"  he  said ;  "  and  although  it  needed 
not  that  since  the  prince  himself  has  been  pleased  to 
appoint  you  to  his  household,  yet  I  am  glad  to  receive 


134  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

SO  good  a  report  of  you.  All  Holland  and  Zeeland  have 
been  talking  of  the  gallant  fight  that  your  father's  ship 
made  against  the  Spaniard  ;  and  though  I  hear  that  the 
Queen  of  England  has  made  remonstrances  to  the,  Span- 
ish Ambassador  as  to  this  attack  upon  an  English  ship, 
methinks  that  it  is  the  Spaniards  who  suffered  most  in 
the  affair." 

"  Would  you  kindly  instruct  me,  sir,  in  the  duties 
that  I  have  to  perform." 

*'  There  are  no  duties  whatever,"  the  count  said  with 
a  smile.  "  There  is  no  state  or  ceremony  here.  The 
prince  lives  like  a  private  citizen,  and  all  that  you  have 
to  do  is  to  behave  discreetly,  to  present  youi-self  at  the 
hours  of  meals,  and  to  be  in  readiness  to  perform  any 
service  with  which  the  prince  may  intrust  you  ;  although 
for  what  service  he  destines  you,  I  own  that  I  am  in  ig- 
norance. But,"  he  said  more  gravely,  "the  prince  is 
not  a  man  to  cumber  himself  with  persons  who  are  use- 
less to  him,  nor  to  keep  about  his  person  any  save  those 
upon  whose  fidelity  he  is  convinced  that  he  can  rely. 
Therefore  I  doubt  not  that  he  will  find  work  for  you  to 
do,  for  indeed  there  is  but  little  ease  and  quiet  for  those 
who  serve  him.  This  afternoon  I  will  find  for  you  an 
apartment,  and  I  may  tell  you  that  although  you  will 
have  at  present  no  duties  to  perform,  and  need  not  there- 
fore keep  in  close  attendance,  it  would  be  better  that 
you  should  never  be  very  long  absent :  for  when  the 
prince  wants  a  thing  done  he  wants  it  done  speedily, 
and  values  most  those  upon  whom  he  can  rely  at  all 
times  of  the  night  and  day.  Return  here  at  noon,  and 
I  will  then  present  you  to  the  gentlemen  and  officers 
with  whom  you  will  associate." 

On  leaving  the  cliamberlain  Ned  walked  for  some 
time  through  the  streets  of   Rotterdam.     He  scarcely 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  135 

noticed  wliere  he  went,  so  full  were  his  thoughts  of  the 
reception  that  he  had  met  with,  and  the  more  than  real- 
ization of  his  hopes.  The  charm  of  manner,  as  well  as 
the  real  kindness  of  the  prince,  had  completely  captiv- 
ated him,  as  indeed  they  did  all  who  came  in  contact  with 
him,  and  he  felt  that  no  dangers  he  could  run,  no  efforts 
he  could  make  would  be  too  great  if  he  could  but  win 
the  approbation  of  so  kind  a  master.  He  presented  him- 
self to  the  chamberlain  at  the  hour  named,  and  the 
latter  took  him  to  a  large  hall  in  which  many  ofl&cers 
and  gentlemen  were  about  to  sit  down  to  dinner,  and 
introduced  Ned  to  them  as  the  son  of  the  English  cap- 
tain who  had  so  bravely  beaten  off  the  Don  Pedro,  and 
whom  the  Prince  of  Orange  had  received  into  his  house- 
hold in  the  quality  of  a  gentleman  volunteer. 

Ned  was  well  received,  both  on  his  own  account  and 
from  the  good-will  that  was  entertained  toward  England. 
Although  personally  the  Prince  of  Orange  kept  up  no 
state  and  lived  most  simply  and  quietly,  he  still  main- 
tained an  extensive  household,  and  extended  a  generous 
hospitality  more  suited  to  his  past  wealth  than  to  his 
present  necessities.  He  had  the  habits  of  a  great  noble ; 
and  although  pressed  on  all  sides  for  money,  and  some- 
times driven  to  make  what  he  considered  great  econo- 
mies in  his  establishment,  his  house  was  always  open  to 
his  friends  and  adherents. 

Certainly  in  the  meal  to  which  he  sat  down  Ned  saw 
little  signs  of  economy.  There  was  but  little  silver  plate 
on  the  table,  for  the  prince's  jewels  and  plate  had  been 
pledged  years  before  for  the  payment  of  the  German  mer- 
cenaries ;  but  there  was  an  abundance  of  food  of  all  kinds 
generous  wine  in  profusion,  and  the  guests  were  served 
by  numerous  pages  and  attendants.  On  the  following 
day  the  prince  rode  to  Haarlem,  accompanied  by  his 


136  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

household  and  a  hundred  horsemen,  for  at  Haarlem  he 
had  summoned  a  meeting  of  the  representatives  of  the 
states  that  still  remained  faithful  to  him.  As  soon  as 
they  were  settled  in  the  quarters  assigned  to  them  Ned 
sallied  out  to  make  inquiries  concerning  the  relatives 
with  whom  his  aunt  and  cousins  had  taken  refuge.  As 
he  knew  her  maiden  name  he  had  no  great  difficulty  in 
learning  the  part  of  the  town  in  which  her  father  dwelt 
and  knowing  that  the  prince  would  at  any  rate  for  the  rest 
of  the  day  be  wholly  absorbed  in  important  business, 
made  his  way  thither,  introducing  himself  to  the  burgher. 

"  Ah  I "  the  latter  said,  "  I  have  often  heard  my 
daughter  speak  of  her  sister-in-law  who  had  married 
and  settled  in  England.  So  you  are  her  son  ?  Well, 
you  will  find  her  house  in  the  street  that  runs  along  by 
the  city  wall,  near  the  Watergate.  It  was  well  that  she 
happened  to  be  laid  up  with  illness  at  the  time  Alva's 
ruffians  seized  and  murdered  her  husband  and  his  family. 
She  was  well-nigh  distraught  for  a  time,  and  well  she 
might  be ;  though,  indeed,  her  lot  is  but  that  of  tens  of 
thousands  of  othei"S  in  this  unhappy  country.  I  would 
gladly  have  welcomed  her  here,  but  I  have  another 
married  daughter  who  lives  with  me  and  keeps  my 
house  for  me,  and  as  she  has  half  a  dozen  children  the 
house  is  well-nigh  full.  And  Elizabeth  longed  for  quiet 
in  her  sorrow,  so  I  established  her  in  the  little  house  I 
tell  you  of.  I  have  been  going  to  write  to  your  father, 
but  have  put  it  off  from  time  to  time,  for  one  has  so 
much  to  think  of  in  these  days  that  one  has  no  time  for 
private  matters.  She  tells  me  that  her  husband  and  his 
brothers  had,  foreseeing  the  evil  times  coming,  sent 
money  to  England  to  his  care,  and  that  it  has  been  in- 
vested in  houses  in  London." 

**  I  believe  that  is  so,"  Ned  replied  ;  "  and  my  father, 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  1^7 

who  is  at  present  lying  sorely  wounded  a":  Enkhuizen, 
will,  I  am  sure,  now  that  he  knows  where  my  aunt  is, 
communicate  with  her  by  letter  on  the  subject.  I  will 
give  you  his  address  at  Enkhuizen,  and  as  it  is  but  a 
short  journey  from  here  you  might  perhaps  find  time  to 
go  over  and  see  him,  when  he  will  be  able  to  talk  freely 
with  you  on  the  subject.  Now,  with  your  permission  I 
will  go  and  see  my  aunt." 

Ned  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  house  indicated. 
He  knocked  at  the  door,  and  it  was  opened  by  his  aunt 
herself.  She  looked  up  for  a  moment  inquiringly,  and 
then  exclaimed : 

"  Why,  it  is  my  nephew,  Edward  Martin  ^  It  is  nearly 
two  years  since  I  saw  you  last,  and  so  much  has  happened 
since  ; "  and  she  burst  into  tears. 

Ned  followed  her  into  the  house,  where  he  was  warmly 
welcomed  by  his  two  cousins — girls  of  fourteen  and 
fifteen  years  old.  He  had  first  to  explain  how  it  was 
that  he  had  come  to  Haarlem,  and  they  were  grieved 
indeed  to  hear  what  had  happened  to  Captain  Martin, 
who  was  a  great  favorite  with  them. 

"  And  so  you  have  entered  the  service  of  the  Prince 
of  Orange  ?  "  his  aunt  said  when  he  had  finished  his 
story.  "  Truly  I  wonder  that  your  father  and  mother 
have  allowed  you  to  embark  in  so  hopeless  an  enter- 
prise." 

"  Not  hopeless,"  Ned  said.  "  Things  look  dark  at 
present,  but  either  England  or  France  may  come  to  our 
help.  At  any  rate,  aunt,  if  the  Spanish  army  again 
sweeps  over  Holland  and  Zeeland,  surely  you,  with  two 
girls,  will  not  await  its  approach.  You  have  friends  in 
England.  My  father  and  mother  will  be  only  too  glad 
to  have  you  with  them  till  you  can  make  yourself  a 
home  close  by.     And  there  are  the  moneys  sent  over 


i38  BT  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

that  will  enable  you  to  live  in  comfort.  It  will  not  be 
like  going  among  strangers.  There  is  quite  a  colony 
of  emigrants  from  the  Netherlands  alieady  in  London. 
You  will  find  plenty  who  can  speak  your  language." 

"  All  my  family  are  here,"  she  replied ;  "  my  father, 
and  brothers,  and  sisters.  I  could  never  be  happy  else- 
where." 

"  Yes,  aunt,  I  can  understand  that.  But  if  the  Span- 
iards come,  how  many  of  your  family  may  be  alive  here 
a  week  afterward  ?  " 

The  woman  threw  up  her  hands  in  a  gesture  of  de- 
spair. 

"  Well,  we  must  hope  for  the  best,  aunt ;  but  I  would 
urge  you  most  strongly  if  you  hear  that  a  Spanish  array 
is  approaching  to  fly  to  England  if  there  be  an  oppor- 
tunity open  to  you,  or  if  not  to  leave  the  city  and  go  to 
some  town  or  village  as  far  from  here  as  possible." 

"  Haarlem  is  strong,  and  can  stand  a  stout  siege,"  the 
woman  said  confidently. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  it  can,  aunt.  But  the  Spaniards 
are  good  engineers  and  unless  the  Prince  of  Orange  is 
strong  enough  to  march  to  its  succor,  sooner  or  later  it 
-must  fall ;  and  you  know  what  happens  then." 

"  Why  should  they  come  here  more  than  elsewhere  ? 
There  are  many  other  towns  that  lie  nearer  to  them." 

"  That  is  so,  aunt.  But  from  the  walls  you  can  see 
the  towns  and  spires  of  Amsterdam,  and  that  city  serves 
them  as  a  gathering  place  in  the  heart  of  the  country 
whence  they  may  strike  blows  all  round ;  and,  there- 
fore, as  you  lie  so  close,  one  of  the  first  blows  may  be 
struck  here.  Besides,  if  they  take  Haarlem,  they  cut 
the  long  strip  of  land  that  almost  alone  remains  faithful 
to  the  prince  asunder.  Well,  aunt,  please  think  it  over. 
If  you  doubt  my  words  write  to  my  mother  at  Enkhui- 


/ 

/ 


ST  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  139 

zeh.  i  warrant  she  will  tell  you  how  gladly  she  will 
receive  you  in  England,  and  how  well  you  may  make 
yourself  a  home  there.  I  do  not  know  how  long  I  am 
to  be  staying  here,  and  I  have  to  be  in  close  attendance 
on  the  prince  in  case  he  may  suddenly  have  occasion 
for  my  services,  but  I  will  come  down  every  day  for  a 
talk  with  you ;  and  I  do  hope  that  for  the  sake  of  my 
cousins,  if  not  for  your  own,  you  will  decide  to  leave 
this  troubled  land  for  a  time,  and  to  take  refuge  in 
England,  where  none  will  interfere  with  your  religion, 
and  where  you  can  live  free  from  the  Spaniards'  cruel 
bigotry." 

Ned  remained  for  a  fortnight  without  any  particular 
duties.  When  the  prince  was  closeted  with  persons  of 
importance,  and  he  knew  that  there  was  no  chance  of 
his  being  required,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  at  his 
aunt's.  He  was  beginning  to  feel  weary  of  hanging 
about  the  prince's  antechamber  doing  nothing,  when  one 
day  a  page  came  up  to  him  and  told  him  that  the  prince 
required  his  presence.  He  followed  the  boy  to  the 
prince's  cabinet,  full  of  hope  that  he  was  to  have  an  op- 
portunity of  proving  that  he  was  in  earnest  in  his  offers 
of  service  to  the  cause  of  Holland. 

"  I  dare  say  you  began  to  think  that  I  had  forgotten 
you,"  the  prince  began  when  the  page  had  retired  and 
the  curtain  had  fallen  behind  him,  "  but  it  is  not  so. 
Until  to-day  I  have  had  no  occasion  for  your  services,  but 
have  now  a  mission  to  intrust  to  you.  I  have  letters 
that  I  wish  carried  to  Brussels  and  delivered  to  some  of 
my  friends  there.  You  had  best  start  at  once  in  the 
disguise  of  a  peasant-boy.  You  must  sew  up  your  de- 
spatches in  your  jerkin,  and  remember  that  if  they  are 
found  upon  you  a  cruel  death  will  surely  be  your  fate. 
If  you  safely  carry  out  your  mission  in  Brussels  return 


140  BY  PIKE  AND  DYES, 

with  the  answers  you  will  receive  by  such  route  as  may 
seem  best  to  you ;  for  this  must  depend  upon  the  move- 
ments of  the  Spaniards.  The  chamberlain  will  furnish 
you  with  what  money  you  may  require." 

"  Thanks,  your  excellency,  I  am  provided  with  suf- 
ficient means  for  such  a  journey." 

"  I  need  not  tell  you,  my  lad,  to  be  careful  and  prudent. 
Remember,  not  only  is  your  own  life  at  stake,  but  that 
the  interest  of  the  country  will  suffer,  and  the  lives  of 
many  will  be  forfeited  should  you  fail  in  your  mission. 
You  will  see  that  there  are  no  names  upon  these  letters  ; 
only  a  small  private  mark,  differing  in  each  case,  by 
which  you  can  distinguish  them.  Here  is  a  paper  which 
is  a  key  to  those  marks.  You  must,  before  you  start, 
learn  by  heart  the  names  of  those  for  whom  the  various 
letters  are  intended.  In  this  way,  should  tlie  letters  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards,  they  will  have  no  clue 
as  to  the  names  of  those  to  whom  they  are  addressed. 

"  This  paper,  on  which  is  written,  '  To  the  Blue  Cap  in 
the  South  Corner  of  the  Market  Square  of  Brussels, '  is 
intended  to  inclose  all  the  other  letters,  and  when  you 
have  learned  the  marks  Count  Nieuwenar  will  fasten 
them  up  in  it  and  seal  it  with  my  seal.  The  object  of 
doing  this  is,  that  should  you  be  captured,  you  can  state 
that  your  instructions  from  me  are  to  deliver  the  packet 
to  a  man  with  a  blue  cap,  who  will  meet  you  at  the  south 
corner  of  the  Market  Square  at  Brussels,  and,  touching 
you  on  the  shoulder,  ask  '  How  blows  the  wind  in  Hol- 
land ? '  These  are  the  instructions  I  now  give  you.  If 
such  a  man  comes  to  you  you  will  deliver  the  packet  to 
him,  if  not  you  will  open  it  and  deliver  the  letters.  But 
this  last  does  not  form  part  of  your  instructions. 

"  This  device  will  not  save  your  life  if  you  are  taken, 
but  it  may  save  you  from  torture  and  others  from  death. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  141 

For  were  these  unaddressed  lettera  found  upon  you,  you 
would  be  put  to  such  cruel  tortures  that  flesh  and  blood 
could  not  withstand  them,  and  the  names  of  those  for 
whom  these  letters  are  intended  would  be  wrung  from 
you;  but  inclosed  as  they  are  to  Master  Blue  Cap,  it 
may  be  believed  that  you  are  merely  a  messenger  whose 
instructions  extend  no  further  than  the  handing  over  the 
parcel  to  a  friend  of  mine  in  Brussels.  Now,  you  have 
no  time  to  lose.  You  have  your  disguise  to  get,  and 
these  signs  and  the  names  they  represent  to  commit  to 
heart.  A  horse  will  be  ready  in  two  hours'  time  to  take 
you  to  Rotterdam,  whence  you  will  proceed  in  a  coast- 
ing vessel  to  Sluys  or  Axel." 

At  the  time  named  Ned  was  in  readiness.  He  was 
dressed  now  as  a  young  Flemish  peasant.  He  had  left 
the  chest  with  his  clothes,  together  with  his  armor  and 
weapons,  in  the  care  of  his  aunt's  father,  for  he  hoped 
that  before  his  return  she  would  have  left  the  town. 
He  could  not,  however,  obtain  any  promise  that  she 
would  do  so.  Her  argument  was,  if  other  women  could 
stay  in  Haarlem  why  should  she  not  do  the  same.  Her 
friends  and  family  were  there  ;  and  although,  if  the  Span- 
iards were  to  besiege  the  town,  she  might  decide  to  quit 
it,  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  go  into  exile,  unless 
indeed  all  Holland  was  conquered  and  all  hope  gone. 

Ned  carried  a  stout  stick  ;  which  was  a  more  formi- 
dable weapon  than  it  looked,  for  the  knob  was  loaded 
with  lead.  He  hesitated  about  taking  pistols  ;  for  if  at 
any  time  he  were  searched  and  such  weapons  found 
upon  him  the  discovery  might  prove  fatal,  for  a  peasant 
boy  certainly  would  not  be  carrying  weapons  that  were 
at  that  time  costly  and  comparatively  rare.  His  de- 
spatches were  sewn  up  in  the  lining  of  his  coat,  and  his 
money,  beyond  that  required  for  the  present  use,  hidden 


142  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

in  his  big  boots.  A  country  liorse  with  rough  trappings, 
such  as  a  small  farmer  might  ride,  was  in  readiness, 
and  mounting  this  he  rode  to  Rotterdam,  some  thirty- 
five  miles  distant,  and  there  put  it  up  at  a  small  inn, 
where  he  had  been  charged  to  leave  it. 

He  then  walked  down  to  the  river  and  inquired 
about  boats  sailing  for  the  ports  of  Sluys  or  Axel.  He 
was  not  long  in  discovering  one  that  would  start  the 
next  day  for  the  latter  place,  and  after  bargaining  with 
the  master  for  a  passage  returned  to  the  inn.  The  next 
morning  he  set  sail  soon  after  daybreak.  There  were 
but  tliree  or  four  other  passengers,  and  Ned  was  not 
long  before  he  established  himself  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  master  and  the  four  men  that  constituted  the 
crew. 

"  I  wonder,"  he  said  presently  to  the  master,  "  that 
trade  still  goes  on  between  the  towns  of  Holland  and 
those  in  the  provinces  that  hold  to  Alva." 

"  The  citizens  of  those  towns  are  greatly  divided  in 
their  opinions,"  the  captain  said.  "  Many  would  glad- 
ly rise  if  they  had  the  chance,  but  they  lie  too  close  to 
the  Spanish  power  to  venture  to  do  so.  Still  they  are 
friendly  enough  to  us  ;  and  as  they  have  need  of  our 
goods  and  we  of  theirs,  no  one  hinders  traffic  or  inter- 
feres with  those  who  come  and  go.  Most  of  these  towns 
have  but  small  Spanish  garrisons,  and  these  concern 
themselves  not  with  anything  that  goes  on  beyond 
maintaining  the  place  for  Spain.  It  is  the  Catholic 
magistrates  appointed  by  Alva  who  manage  the  affairs 
of  the  towns,  and  as  these  are  themselves  mostly  mer- 
chants and  traders,  their  interests  lie  in  keeping  the 
ports  open  and  encouraging  trade,  so  we  come  and  go 
unquestioned.  The  Spaniards  have  enough  on  their 
hands  already  without  causing  discontent  by  restricting 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  143 

trade.  Besides,  the  duke  affects  to  consider  the  rising 
in  Holland  and  Zeeland  ^as  a  trifling  rebellion  which  he 
can  suppress  without  difficulty,  and  it  would  be  giving 
too  much  importance  to  the  movement  were  he  to  close 
all  the  ports  and  forbid  communication." 

"  Will  you  go  outside  or  inside  Walcheren  ?  '* 
"  Outside,"  the  captain  replied.  "  It  is  the  longest 
way,  but  the  safest.  Tlie  Spaniards  hold  Middleburg 
and  Tergoes,  and  have  lately  defeated  the  force  from 
Flushing  that  endeavored  to  capture  Tergoes.  There 
are  many  of  our  craft  and  some  of  the  Spaniards  in  the 
psssages,  and  fighting  often  takes  place.  It  is  better  to 
avoid  risks  of  trouble,  although  it  may  be  a  few  leagues 
further  round  by  Walcheren.  I  am  ready  to  take  my 
share  of  the  fighting  when  it  is  needful,  and  aid  in 
carrying  the  troops  across  from  Flushing  and  back,  but 
when  I  have  goods  in  my  hold  I  like  to  keep  as  well 
away  from  it  as  may  be." 

They  cast  anchor  off  Flushing,  for  the  wind  was  now 
foul,  but  when  tide  turned  they  again  got  under  way 
and  beat  up  the  channel  to  Axel.  No  questions  were 
asked  as  they  drew  up  alongside  the  wharves.  Ned  at 
once  stepped  ashore  and  made  his  way  to  a  small  inn, 
chiefly  frequented  by  sailors,  near  the  jetty.  The  shades 
of  night  were  just  falling  as  they  arrived,  and  he 
thought  it  were  better  not  to  attempt  to  proceed  fur- 
ther until  the  following  morning.  He  had  been  several 
times  at  Axel  in  the  Good  Venture,  and  was  familiar 
with  the  tow'n.  The  population  was  a  mixed  one,  for 
although  situated  in  Brabant,  Axel  had  so  much  com- 
munication with  the  opposite  shores  of  Holland  that  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  population  had  imbibed 
something  of  the  spiiit  that  animated  their  neighbors, 
and  would,  if  opportunity  offered,   have  gladly  thrown 


144  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

off  the  authority  of  the  officials  appointed  by  the  Span- 
iards. 

Ned  knew  that  as  a  stranger  he  should  be  viewed 
with  great  suspicion  by  the  frequentei-s  of  the  little  inn, 
for  the  spy  system  was  carried  jto  such  an  extent  that 
people  were  afraid  to  utter  their  sentiments  even  in 
the  bosom  of  their  own  families.  He  therefore  walked 
about  until  it  was  time  to  retire  to  rest,  and  in  that 
way  escaped  alike  the  suspicions  and  questionings  he 
might  otherwise  have  encountered.  He  could  easily 
have  satisfied  them  as  to  the  past — he  had  just  arrived 
in  the  coasting  smack  the  Hopeful  from  Rotterdam, 
and  the  master  of  the  craft  could,  if  questioned,  cor- 
roborate his  statement — but  it  would  not  be  so  easy  to 
satisfy  questioners  as  to  the  object  of  his  coming. 
Why  should  a  lad  from  Holland  want  to  come  to  Bra- 
bant? Every  one  knew  that  work  was  far  more  plen- 
tiful in  the  place  he  had  come  from  than  in  the  states 
under  the  Spaniards,  where  the  cultivatora  scarce  dare 
sow  crops  sufficient  for  their  own  consumption,  so  ex- 
tensive was  the  pillaging  carried  on  by  the  Spanish 
troops. 

These,  always  greatly  in  arrears  of  pay,  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  take  all  they  required  from  the  unfortunate 
inhabitants ;  and  the  latter  knew  that  resistance  or 
complaint  was  alike  useless,  for  the  soldiers  were  always 
on  the  verge  of  mutiny.  The  officers  had  little  control 
over  them ;  and  Alva  himself  was  always  short  of 
money,  and  being  unable  to  pay  his  troops  was  obliged 
to  allow  them  to  maintain  themselves  upon  the  country. 

As  soon  as  the  gates  were  open  in  the  morning  Ned 
made  his  way  to  that  through  which  the  road  to  Brussels 
ran.  Tiie  four  or  five  Spanish  soldiers  at  the  gate  asked 
no  questions,   and   Ned  passed  on   with  a  brisk  step. 


3ST  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  146 

He  had  ^«t>a  about  three  miles  when  he  heard  sounds 
of  horses'  hoofs  behind  him,  and  presently  two  men 
came  along.  One  was,  by  his  appearance,  a  person  of 
some  importance,  the  other  he  took  to  be  his  clerk. 
Ned  doffed  his  hat  as  the  horse  went  past. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  lad  ?  "  the  elder  of  the  two 
men  asked. 

"  I  am  going,  worshipful  sir,  to  see  some  friends  who 
live  at  the  village  of  Deligen,  near  Brussels." 

"These  are  evil  times  for  traveling.  Your  tongue 
shows  that  you  come  not  from  Brabant." 

"  No,  sir,  my  relations  lived  at  Vordwyk,  hard  by  Am- 
sterdam." 

"  Amsterdam  is  a  faithful  city ;  although  there,  as 
elsewhere,  there  are  men  who  are  traitors  to  their  king 
and  false  to  their  faith.  You  are  not  one  of  them,  I 
hope?" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  Ned  said,  "  that  I  am  bound  to  an- 
swer questions  of  any  that  ride  by  the  highway,  unless  I 
know  that  they  have  right  and  authority  to  question 
me." 

"I  have  right  and  authority,"  the  man  said  angrily. 
"  My  name  is  Philip  Von  Aert,  and  I  am  one  of  the 
council  charged  by  the  viceroy  to  investigate  into  these 
matters." 

Ned  again  doffed  his  hat.  "  I  know  your  name,  wor- 
shipful sir,  as  that  of  one  who  is  foremost  in  searching 
out  heretics.  There  are  few  in  the  land,  even  ignorant 
country  boys  like  myself,  who  have  not  heard  it." 

The  councilor  looked  gratified.  "  Ah  I  you  have 
heard  me  well  spoken  of  ?  "  he  said. 

"  I  have  heard  you  spoken  of,  sir,  well  or  ill,  accord- 
ing to  the  sentiments  of  those  who  spoke." 

"  And  why  have  you  left  Amsterdam  to  journey  so 

10 


146  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

far  from  home  ?  This  is  a  time  when  all  men  must  be 
looked  upon  with  suspicion  until  they  prove  themselves 
to  be  good  Catholics  and  faithful  subjects  of  the  king, 
and  even  a  bo}'-  like  you  may  be  engaged  upon  treason- 
able business.  I  ask  you  again  why  are  you  leaving 
your  family  at  Amsterdam  ?  " 

"  Misfortunes  have  fallen  upon  them,"  Ned  replied, 
"  and  they  can  no  longer  maintain  me." 

"  Misfortunes,  ah  !  and  of  what  kind  ?  " 

"  Their  business  no  longer  brings  them  in  profit,"  Ned 
replied.  "  They  lived,  as  I  told  your  worship,  not  in 
the  town  itself,  but  in  a  village  near  it,  and  in  these 
troubled  times  trade  is  well-nigh  at  a  standstill,  and 
there  is  want  at  many  a  man's  door." 

"  I  shall  stop  for  the  night  at  Antwerp,  where  I  have 
business  to  do  ;  see  when  you  arrive  there  that  you  call 
upon  me.  I  must  liave  further  talk  with  you,  for  your 
answers  do  not  satisfy  me." 

Ned  bowed  low. 

"  Very  well,  see  that  you  fail  not,  or  it  will  be  tke 
worse  for  you."  So  saying  Von  Aert  put  spurs  to  his 
horse,  which  had  been  walking  alongside  Ned  as  he 
conversed  and  rode  forward  at  a  gallop. 


£  Y  PIKE  AND  D  YEK  147 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

IN  THE  HANDS   OP  THE  BLOOD   COUNCIIi. 

"  You  are  an  evil-looking  pair  of  scoundrels,"  Ned 
said  to  himself  as  he  looked  after  the  retreating  figures 
of  the  two  men.  "  Tlie  master  I  truly  know  by  name 
as  one  of  the  worst  instruments  of  the  tyrant ;  as  to  the 
man,  knave  is  written  on  his  face.  He  is  as  thin  as  a 
scarecrow — he  has  a  villainous  squint  and  an  evil  smile 
on  his  face.  If  I  had  been  bent  on  any  other  errand  I 
would  have  given  very  different  answers,  and  taken  my 
chance  of  holding  my  own  with  this  good  stick  of  mine. 
At  any  rate  I  told  them  no  absolute  lies.  The  council  or 
will  not  have  a  chance  of  asking  me  any  more  questions 
this  evening,  and  I  only  hope  that  he  will  be  too  busy 
to  think  any  more  about  it.  I  will  take  the  road  through 
Ghent ;  it  matters  little  which  way  I  go,  for  the  two 
roads  seem  to  me  to  be  of  nearly  equal  distance." 

He  therefore  at  once  left  the  road  he  was  following, 
and  struck  across  the  fields  northward  until  he  came 
upon  the  road  to  Ghent,  at  which  town  he  arrived  soon 
afternoon,  having  walked  two  or  three  and  twenty  miles. 
Fearing  to  be  questioned  he  passed  through  the  town 
without  stopping,  crossed  the  Scheldt  and  continued  his 
way  for  another  five  miles,  when  he  stopped  at  the  vil- 
lage of  Gontere.     He  entered  a  small  inn. 

"  I  wish  to  stop  here  for  the  night,"  he  said,  "  if  you 
J^avQ  roojn  ?  " 


148  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  Room  enough  and  to  spare,"  the  host  replied. 
"  Thei-e  is  no  scarcity  of  room,  though  there  is  of  good 
fare  ;  a  party  of  soldiers  from  Ghent  paid  a  visit  to  us 
yesterday,  and  have  scarce  left  a  thing  to  eat  in  the 
village.  However,  I  suppose  we  ought  to  feel  thankful 
that  they  did  not  take  our  lives  also." 

"  Peter,"  a  shrill  voice  cried  from  inside  the  house, 
"  how  often  have  I  told  you  not  to  be  gossiping  on 
public  affairs  with  stapangers?  Your  tongue  will  cost 
you  your  head  presently,  as  I  have  told  you  a  score  of 
times." 

"  Near  a  hundred  I  should  say,  wife,"  the  innkeeper 
replied.  "  I  am  speaking  no  treason,  but  am  only  ex- 
plaining why  our  larder  is  empty,  save  some  black  bread 
and  some  pig's  flesh  we  bought  an  hour  ago ;  besides, 
this  youth  is  scarce  likely  to  be  one  of  the  duke's 
spies." 

"  There  you  are  again,"  the  woman  cried  angrily. 
"  You  want  to  leave  me  a  widow,  and  your  children 
fatherless,  Peter  Grantz.  Was  a  woman  ever  tormented 
with  such  a  man  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  that  it  is  not  the  other  way,"  the 
man  grumbled  in  an  undertone.  "  Why,  wife,"  he  went 
on,  raising  his  voice,  "  who  is  there  to  say  anything 
against  us.  Don't  I  go  regularly  to  mass,  and  send  our 
good  priest  a  fine  fish  or  the  best  cut  off  the  joint  two 
or  three  times  a  week.  What  can  I  do  more  ?  Any  one 
would  think  to  hear  you  talk  that  I  was  a  heretic." 

"  I  think  you  are  more  fool  than  heretic,"  his  wife  said 
angrily,  "  and  that  is  the  best  hope  for'  us.  But  come 
in,  boy,  and  sit  down ;  my  husband  will  keep  you 
gossiping  at  the  door  for  the  next  hour  if  you  would 
listen  to  him." 

♦'  I  shall  not  b^  sorry  to  sit  down,  mistress,"  Ned  said 


ST  PIKE  AND  DTKR  140 

entering  the  low-roofed  room.  "  I  have  walked  from 
Axel  since  morning." 

"  That  is  a  good  long  walk  truly,"  the  woman  said. 
"  Are  you  going  on  to  Brussels  ?  If  so,  your  nearest 
way  would  have  been  by  Antwerp." 

"  I  took  the  wrong  road,"  Ned  said ;  "  and  as  they 
told  me  that  there  was  but  a  mile  or  two  difference 
between  them,  I  thought  I  might  as  well  keep  on  the 
one  I  had  first  taken." 

"  You  are  from  Holland  are  you  not,  by  your  speech  ?  " 
the  woman  asked. 

"  Yes  ;  I  have  come  from  Holland,"  Ned  replied. 

"  And  is  it  true  what  they  say,  that  the  people  there 
have  thrown  off  the  authority  of  the  duke,  and  are 
going  to  venture  themselves  against  all  the  strength  of 
Spain?" 

"  Some  have  risen  and  some  have  not,"  Ned  replied. 
"  None  can  say  what  will  come  of  it." 

"  You  had  best  not  say  much  about  your  coming  from 
Holland,"  the  woman  said ;  "  for  they  say  that  well-nigh 
all  from  that  province  are  heretics,  and  to  be  even  sus- 
pected of  being  a  heretic  in  Brabant  is  enough  to  cost 
any  one  liis  life." 

"  I  am  not  one  to  talk,"  Ned  replied ;  "  but  I  thank 
you  for  your  caution,  mistress.  I  have  been  questioned 
already  by  Philip  Von  Aert,  and  he  said  he  would  see 
me  again,  but  in  truth  I  have  no  intention  of  further 
intruding  on  him." 

"  He  is  one  of  the  Council  of  Blood,"  the  woman  said, 
dropping  her  voice  and  looking  round  anxiously;  "and 
one  of  the  most  cruel  of  them.  Beware,  my  lad,  how 
you  fall  into  his  hands,  for  be  assured  he  will  show  you 
no  mercy,  if  he  has  reason  to  suspect,  but  in  the  slight- 
est, that  you  are  not  a  good  Catholic  and  loyal  to  the 


150  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

Spaniards.  Rich  or  poor,  gentle  or  simple,  womati  6t 
child,  it  is  naught  to  him.  There  is  no  mercy  for  heretics, 
whomsoever  they  may  be ;  and  unless  you  can  satisfy  him 
thoroughly  your  best  plan  is  to  go  back  at  once  to  Axel, 
and  to  cross  to  Holland.  You  do  not  know  what  they 
are.  There  are  spies  in  every  town  and  village,  and  were 
it  known  what  I  have  said  to  you  now,  little  though  that 
be,  it  would  go  hard  with  me.  Women  have  been  burned 
or  strangled  for  far  less." 

"  I  will  be  careful,"  Ned  said.  "  I  have  business  which 
takes  me  to  Biussels,  but  when  that  is  discharged  I  shall 
betake  me  back  to  Holland  as  soon  as  I  can." 

By  this  time  the  woman,  who  had  been  standing  over 
the  fire  while  she  was  talking,  had  roasted  two  or  three 
slices  of  pork,  and  these,  with  a  piece  of  black  bread  and 
a  jug  of  ale,  she  placed  before  Ned. 

Her  husband,  who  had  been  standing  at  the  door, 
now  came  in. 

"  You  are  no  wiser  than  I  am,  wife,  with  all  your 
scolding.  I  have  been  listening  to  your  talk  ;  you  have 
scolded  me  whenever  I  open  my  lips,  and  there  you 
yourself  say  things  ten  times  as  dangerous." 

"  I  say  them  inside  the  house,  Peter  Grantz,"  she  re- 
torted, "  and  don't  stand  talking  at  the  door  so  that  all 
the  village  may  hear  me.  The  lad  is  honest,  as  I  can 
see  by  his  face,  and  if  I  could  do  aught  for  him  I  would 
do  so." 

"  I  should  be  glad  if  you  could  tell  me  of  some  little 
place  where  I  could  put  up  in  Brussels  ;  some  place 
where  I  could  stay  while  looking  out  for  work,  without 
any  one  troubling  themselves  as  to  whence  I  came  or 
where  I  am  going,  or  what  are  my  views  as  to  religion 
or  politics." 

"  That  were  a  difficult  matter,"  the  woman  replied, 


BY  PIKE  AND  t)YKE.  151 

"  It  is  not  that  the  landlords  care  what  party  those  who 
visit  their  house  belong  to,  but  that  for  aught  they 
know  there  may  be  spies  in  their  own  household ;  and 
in  these  days  it  is  dangerous  even  to  give  shelter  to  one 
of  the  new  religion.  Therefore,  although  landlords 
may  care  nothing  who  frequent  their  houses,  they  are  in 
a  way  forced  to  do  so  lest  they  themselves  should  be 
denounced  as  harborers  of  heretics.  Brussels  has  a 
strong  party  opposed  to  the  duke  ;  for  you  know  that  it 
is  not  those  of  the  new  religion  only  who  would  gladly 
see  the  last  of  the  Spaniards.  There  are  but  few  heretics 
in  Brabant  now,  the  Inquisition  and  the  Council  of 
Blood  have  made  an  end  of  most,  others  have  fled  either 
to  France,  or  England,  or  Holland,  some  have  outwardly 
conformed  to  the  rites  of  the  Church,  and  there  are 
few  indeed  who  remain  openly  separated  from  her, 
though  in  their  hearts  they  may  remain  heretics  as 
before. 

"  Still  there  are  great  numbers  who  long  to  see  the 
old  Constitution  restored — to  see  persecution  abolished, 
the  German  and  Spanish  troops  sent  packing,  and  to  be 
ruled  by  our  own  laws  under  the  viceroy  of  the  King  of 
Spain.  Therefore  in  Brussels  you  are  not  likely  to  be 
very  closely  questioned.  There  are  great  numbers  of 
officials,  a  small  garrison,  and  a  good  many  spies ;  all 
of  these  are  for  the  duke,  the  rest  of  the  population 
would  rise  to-morrow  did  they  see  a  chance  of  success. 
I  shonld  say  that  you  are  more  likely,  being  a  stranger, 
of  being  suspected  of  being  a  spy  than  of  being  a 
heretic — that  is  if  you  are  one,  which  I  do  not  ask  and 
do  not  want  to  know.  The  people  of  Brussels  are  not 
given  to  tumults  as  are  those  of  Antwerp  and  Ghent, 
but  are  a  quiet  people  going  their  own  way.  Being  the 
capital  there  are  more  strangers  resort  there  than  to 


152  AF  P1S:E  ANh  JDYKW. 

other  places,  and  therefore  people  come  and  go  without 
inquiry ;  still  were  I  you  I  would,  if  you  have  any 
good  reason  for  avoiding  notice,  prefer  to  lodge  outside 
the  city,  entering  the  gates  of  a  morning,  doing  what 
business  you  may  have  during  the  day,  and  leaving 
again  before  sunset.  Tliat  way  you  would  altogether 
avoid  questionings,  and  will  attract  no  more  attention 
than  other  country  people  going  in  to  sell  their  goods." 

"  Thank  you,  I  will  follow  your  advice,"  Ned  said. 
"  I  have  no  wish  to  get  into  trouble,  and  being  a 
stranger  there  I  should  have  difficulty  in  proving  that 
my  story  is  a  true  one  were  I  questioned." 

The  next  morning  Ned  set  out  at  daybreak,  and 
arrived  at  Brussels  early  in  the  afternoon.  He  had 
determined  to  adopt  the  advice  given  him  the  evening 
before ;  and  also  that  he  would  not  endeavor  to  get  a 
lodging  in  any  of  the  villages. 

"  It  will  not  take  me  more  than  a  day,  or  at  most  two 
days,  to  deliver  my  letters,"  he  thought  to  himself, 
"  and  there  will  be  no  hardship  in  sleeping  in  the  fields 
or  under  a  tree  for  a  couple  of  nights.  In  that  way  I 
shall  escape  all  notice,  for  people  talk  in  villages  even 
more  than  they  do  in  towns."  He  had  decided  that  he 
would  not  that  day  endeavor  to  deliver  any  of  the 
letters,  but  would  content  himself  with  walking  about 
the  town  and  learning  the  names  of  the  streets,  so  that 
he  could  set  about  delivering  the  letters  without  the 
necessity  for  asking  many  questions.  When  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  town  he  left  the  road,  and  cutting 
open  the  lining  of  his  jerkin  took  out  the  letters.  Then 
he  cut  up  a  square  piece  of  turf  with  his  knife,  scooped 
out  a  little  earth,  inserted  the  packet  of  letters,  and 
then  stamped  down  the  sod  above  it.  In  another  hole 
close  to  it  he  buried  the  money  hidden  in  his  boot,  and 


Br  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  153 

them  returning  to  the  road  walked  on  into  Brussels, 
feeling  much  more  comfortable  now  that  he  had  for  a 
time  got  rid  of  documents  that  would  cost  him  his  life 
were  they  found  upon  him. 

Passing  through  the  gates,  he  wandered  about  for 
some  hours  through  the  streets,  interested  in  the  stir  and 
bustle  that  prevailed.  Mingled  with  the  grave  citizens 
Avere  Spanish  and  German  soldiers,  nobles  with  their 
trains  of  pages  and  followers,  deputies  from  other  towns 
of  Brabant  and  Artois,  monks  and  priests,  country 
people  who  had  brought  in  their  produce,  councilors 
and  statesmen,  Spanish  nobles  and  whining  mendicants. 
He  learned  the  names  of  many  of  the  streets,  and  marked 
the  houses  of  those  for  whom  he  had  letters.  Some  of 
these  were  nobles,  otliers  citizens  of  Brussels.  He 
bought  some  bread  and  cheese  in  the  market-place,  and 
ate  them  sitting  on  a  doorstep ;  and  having  tied  some 
food  in  a  bundle  to  serve  for  supper,  he  left  the  town 
well  satisfied  with  his  discoveries. 

He  slept  under  the  shelter  of  a  haystack,  and  in  the 
morning  dug  up  the  packet,  sewed  it  up  in  its  hiding- 
place  again,  and  re-entered  the  city  as  soon  as  the  gates 
were  opened,  going  in  with  a  number  of  market-people 
who  had  congregated  there  awaiting  the  opening  of  the 
gates.  In  a  very  short  time  the  shops  were  all  opened ; 
for  if  people  went  to  bed  early,  they  were  also  astir 
early  in  those  days.  He  went  first  toward  the  house  of 
one  of  the  burghers,  and  watched  until  he  saw  the  man 
himself  appear  at  the  door  of  his  shop  ;  then  he  walked 
across  the  street. 

"  The  weather  is  clear,"  he  said,  "but  the  sun  is  nigh 
hidden  with  clouds." 

The  burgher  gave  a  slight  start ;  then  Ned  went  on 

"  I  have  brought  you  tidings  from  the  farm." 


154  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  Come  in,"  the  burgher  said  in  loud  tones,  80  that  he 
could  be  heard  by  his  two  assistants  in  the  shop.  "  My 
wife  will  be  glad  to  hear  tidings  of  her  old  nurae,  who 
was  ill  when  she  last  heard  from  her.  You  can  reassure 
her  in  that  respect,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  Yes,  she  is  mending  fast,"  Ned  replied,  as  he  followed 
the  burgher  through  the  shop. 

The  man  led  the  way  upstairs,  and  then  into  a  small 
sitting-room.     He  closed  the  door  behind  him. 

"  Now,"  he  asked,  "  what  message  do  you  bring  from 
Holland." 

"  I  bring  a  letter,"  Ned  replied  ;  and  taking  out  his 
knife  again  he  cut  the  threads  of  the  lining  and  produced 
the  packet.  The  silk  that  bound  it,  and  which  was 
fastened  by  the  prince's  seal,  was  so  arranged  that  it 
could  be  slipped  off,  and  so  enable  the  packet  to  be 
opened  without  breaking  the  seal.  Ned  took  out  the 
letters ;  and  after  examining  the  marks  on  the  corners 
handed  one  to  the  burgher.  The  latter  opened  and 
read  the  contents. 

"  I  am  told,"  he  said  when  he  had  finished,  "  not  to 
give  you  an  answer  in  writing,  but  to  deliver  it  by  word 
of  mouth.  Tell  the  prince  that  I  have  sounded  many 
of  my  guild,  and  that  certainly  the  greater  part  of  the 
weavers  will  rise  and  join  in  expelling  the  Spaniards 
whenever  a  general  rising  has  been  determined  upon  . 
and  it  is  certain  that  all  the  other  chief  towns  will  join 
in  the  movement.  Unless  it  is  general,  I  fear  that 
nothing  can  be  done.  So  great  is  the  consternation  that 
has  been  caused  by  the  sack  of  Mechlin,  the  slaughter 
of  thousands  of  the  citizens,  and  the  horrible  atrocities 
upon  the  women,  that  no  city  alone  will  dare  to  provoke 
the  vengeance  of  Alva.  All  must  rise  or  none  will  do 
60,    I  am  convinced  that  Brussels  will  do  her  part,  if 


BY  PIKE  AND  BTKE.  155 

othera  do  theirs  ;  although,  as  the  capital,  it  is  upon  her 
the  first  brunt  of  the  Spanish  attack  will  fall.  In  regard 
to  money,  tell  him  that  at  present  none  can  be  collected. 
In  the  first  place,  we  are  all  well-nigh  ruined  by  the 
exactions  of  the  Spanish ;  and  in  the  next,  however 
well  disposed  we  may  be,  there  are  few  who  would 
commit  themselves  by  subscribing  for  the  cause  until 
the  revolt  is  general  and  successful.  Then,  I  doubt  not 
that  the  councilors  would  vote  as  large  a  subsidy  as 
the  city  could  afford  to  pay.  Four  at  least  of  the 
members  of  the  council  of  our  guild  can  be  thoroughly 
relied  upon,  and  the  prince  can  safely  communicate 
with  them.  These  are  Gunther,  Barneveldt,  Hasselaer, 
and  Buys." 

"  Please,  repeat  them   again,"  Ned  said,  "in   order 
that  I  may  be  sure  to  remember  them  rightly  ' 

"  As  to  general  toleration,"  the  burgher  went  on, 
after  repeating  the  names,  "  in  matters  of  religion, 
although  there  are  many  differences  of  opinion,  I  think 
that  the  prince's  commands  on  this  head  will  be  complied 
with,  and  that  it  would  be  agreed  that  Lutherans, 
Calvinists,  and  other  sects  will  be  allowed  to  assemble 
for  worship  without  hindrance ;  but  the  Catholic  feeling 
is  very  strong,  especially  among  the  nobles,  and  the 
numbers  of  those  secretly  inclined  to  the  new  religion 
has  decreased  greatly  in  the  past  few  years,  just  as  they 
have  increased  in  Holland  and  Zeeland,  where,  as  I 
hear,  the  people  are  now  well-nigh  all  Protestants. 
Please  assure  the  prince  of  my  devotion  to  him  per- 
sonally, and  that  1  shall  do  my  best  to  further  his  plans 
and  can  promise  him  that  the  Guild  of  Weavers  will  be 
among  the  first  to  rise  against  the  tyranny  of  the 
Spaniards." 

]!^ed,  as  he  left  the  house,  decided  that  the  m^-n  ho 


156  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

had  visited  was  not  one  of  those  who  would  be  of  any 
great  use  in  an  emergency.  He  was  evidently  well 
enough  disposed  to  the  cause,  but  was  not  one  to  take 
any  great  risks,  or  to  join  openly  in  the  movement  unless 
convinced  that  success  was  assured  for  it.  He  was 
walking  along,  thinking  the  matter  over,  when  he  was 
suddenly  and  roughly  accosted.  Looking  up  he  saw 
the  Councilor  Von  Aert  and  his  clerk  ;  the  former  with 
an  angry  look  on  his  face,  the  latter,  who  was  close 
beside  his  master,  and  who  had  evidently  drawn  his 
attention  to  him,  with  a  malicious  grin  of  satisfaction. 

"  Hullo,  sirrah,"  the  councilor  said  angrily,  "  did  I 
not  tell  you  to  call  upon  me  at  Antwerp  ?  " 

Ned  took  off  his  hat,  and  said  humbly,  "  I  should  of 
course  have  obeyed  your  worship's  order  had  I  passed 
through  Antwerp ;  but  I  afterward  remembered  that  I 
had  cause  to  pass  through  Ghent  and  tlierefore  took  that 
road  knowing  well  that  one  so  insignificant  as  myself 
could  have  nothing  to  tell  your  worship  that  should 
occupy  your  valuable  time." 

"  That  we  will  see  about,"  the  councilor  said  grimly. 
"  Genet,  lay  your  hand  upon  this  young  fellow's  collar. 
We  will  lodge  him  in  safe  keeping  and  inquire  into  the 
matter  when  we  have  leisure.  I  doubt  not  that  you 
were  right  when  you  told  me  that  you  suspected  he  was 
other  than  he  seemed." 

Ned  glanced  round ;  a  group  of  Spanish  soldiers  were 
standing  close  by,  and  he  saw  that  an  attempt  at  escape 
would  be  hopeless.  He  therefore  walked  quietly  along 
by  the  side  of  the  clerk's  horse,  determining  to  wrest 
himself  from  the  man's  hold  and  run  for  it  the  instant 
he  saw  an  opportunity.  Unfortunately,  however,  he 
was  unaware  that  they  were  at  the  moment  within  fifty 
^ards  of  the  prison.     Several  bystandera  who  had  heard 


BY  TIKE  AND  DYKE.  157 

the  conversation  followed  to  see  the  result ;  and  other 
passers-by,  seeing  Ned  led  by  the  collar  behind  the 
dreaded  councilor,  speedily  gathered  around  with  looks 
expressing  no  good  will  to  Von  Aert. 

The  Spanish  soldiers,  however,  accustomed  to  frays 
with  the  townspeople,  at  once  drew  their  weapons  and 
closed  round  the  clerk  and  his  captive,  and  two  minutes, 
later  they  arrived  at  the  door  of  the  prison,  and  Ned, 
completely  taken  by  surprise,  found  himself  thrust  in 
and  the  door  closed  behind  him  before  he  had  time  to 
decide  upon  his  best  course. 

"  You  will  place  this  prisoner  in  a  secure  place,"  the 
councilor  said.  "  It  is  a  case  of  grave  suspicion  ;  and 
I  will  myself  question  him  later  on.  Keep  an  eye  upon 
him  until  I  come  again." 

Ned  was  handed  over  to  two  warders,  who  conducted 
him  to  a  chamber  in  the  third  story.  Here,  to  his 
dismay,  one  of  his  jailers  took  up  his  post,  while  the 
other  retired,  locking  the  door  behind  him.  Thus  the 
intention  Ned  had  formed  as  he  ascended  the  stairs  of 
destroying  the  documents  as  soon  as  he  was  alone,  was 
frustrated.  The  warder  took  his  place  at  the  window 
which  looked  into  an  inner  court  of  the  prison  and 
putting  his  head  out  entered  into  conversation  with 
some  of  his  comrades  in  the  yard  below. 

Ned  regretted  now  that  he  had,  before  leaving  the 
burgher,  again  sewn  up  the  letters  in  his  doublet.  Had 
he  carried  them  loosely  about  him  he  could  have  chewed 
thera  up  one  by  one  and  swallowed  them ;  but  he  dared 
not  attempt  to  get  at  them  now  as  his  warder  might  at 
any  moment  look  round.  The  latter  was  relieved  twice 
during  the  course  of  the  day.  None  of  the  men  paid 
any  attention  to  the  prisoner.  The  succession  of  victims 
who  entered  the  walls  of  the  prison  only  to  quit  them 


158  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

for  the  gallows  was  so  rapid  that  they  had  no  time  to 
concern  themselves  with  their  affaii-s.  Probably  the  boy 
was  a  heretic ;  but  whether  or  not,  if  he  had  incurred 
the  enmity  of  Councilor  Von  Aert,  his  doom  was 
sealed. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening  before  a  warder  appeared 
at  the  door,  and  said  that  the  councilor  was  below,  and 
that  the  prisoner  was  to  be  brought  before  him.  Ned 
was  led  by  the  two  men  to  a  chamber  on  the  ground 
floor.  Here  Von  Aert,  with  two  of  his  colleagues,  was 
seated  at  a  table,  the  former's  clerk  standing  behind 
him. 

"  This  is  a  prisoner  I  myself  made  this  morning," 
Von  Aert  said  to  his  companions.  "  I  overtook  him 
two  miles  this  side  of  Axel,  and  questioned  him.  He 
admitted  that  he  came  from  Holland  ;  and  his  answers 
were  so  unsatisfactory  that  I  ordered  him  strictly  to  call 
upon  me  at  Antwerp,  not  having  time  at  that  moment 
to  question  him  further.  Instead  of  obeying,  he  struck 
off  from  the  road  and  took  that  through  Ghent ;  and  I 
should  have  heard  no  more  of  him  had  I  not  by  chance 
encountered  him  this  morning  in  the  street  here.  Has 
he  been  searched?  "  he  asked  the  warder. 

"  No,  your  excellency.  You  gave  no  orders  that  he 
should  be  examined." 

"  Fools !  "  the  councilor  said  angrily ;  "  this  is  the 
way  you  do  your  duty.  Had  he  been  the  bearer  of  im- 
portant correspondence  he  might  have  destroyed  it  by 
now." 

"  We  have  not  left  him,  your  excellency.  He  has 
never  been  alone  for  a  moment,  and  had  no  opportunity 
whatever  for  destroying  anything." 

"  Well,  search  that  bundle  first,"  the  councilor  said. 

The  bundle  was  found  to  contain  nothing  suspicious. 


5 1  PIKE  ANi)  DYKE.  1 59 

"  Now,  take  off  his  doublet  and  boots  and  examine 
them  carefully.     Let  not  a  seam  or  corner  escape  you.' 

Accustomed  to  the  work,  one  of  the  warders  had 
scarcely  taken  the  doublet  in  his  hand  when  he  pro- 
claimed that  there  was  a  parcel  sewn  up  in  the  lining. 

'*  1  thought  so  I  "  Von  Aert  exclaimed,  beaming 
with  satisfaction  at  his  own  perspicacity.  "  I  thought 
there  was  something  suspicious  about  the  fellow.  I 
believe  I  can  almost  smell  out  a  heretic  or  a  traitor." 

The  councilor's  colleagues  murmured  their  admira- 
tion at  his  acuteness. 

"  What  have  we  here  ?  "  Von  Aert  went  on,  as  he 
examined  the  packet.  "  A  sealed  parcel  addressed  '  To 
the  Blue  Cap  in  the  South  Corner  of  the  Market  Square 
of  Brussels.*  What  think  you  of  that,  my  friends,  for 
mystery  and  treason  ?  Now,  let  us  see  the  contents. 
Ah,  ten  letters  without  addresses  !  But  I  see  there  are 
marks  different  from  each  other  on  the  corners.  Ah !  " 
he  went  on  with  growing  excitement,  as  he  tore  one 
open  and  glanced  at  the  contents,  "  from  the  arch-traitor 
himself  to  conspirators  here  in  Brussels.  This  is  an 
important  capture  indeed.  Now,  sirrah,  what  have 
you  to  say  to  this  ?  For  whom  are  these  letters  in- 
tended?" 

"  I  know  nothing  of  the  contents  of  the  letters, 
worshipful  sir,"  Ned  said,  falling  on  his  knees  and  as- 
suming an  appearance  of  abject  terror.  "  They  were 
delivered  to  me  at  Haarlem,  and  I  was  told  that  I  should 
have  five  nobles  if  I  carried  them  to  Brussels  and 
delivered  them  safely  to  a  man  who  would  meet  me  in 
the  south  corner  of  the  Market  Square  of  Brussels.  I 
was  to  hold  the  packet  in  my  hand  and  sling  my  bundle 
upon  my  stick,  so  that  he  might  know  me.  He  was  to 
have  a  blue  cap  on,  and  was  to  touch  me  on  the  shoulder 


160  5F  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

and  ask  me  '  How  blows  the  wind  in  Holland  ? '  and  that, 
woi-shipful  sir,  is  all  I  know  about  it.  I  could  not  tell 
that  there  was  any  treason  in  the  business,  else  not  for 
fifty  nobles  would  I  have  undertaken  it." 

"  You  lie,  you  young  villain  I "  the  councilor  shouted. 
"  Do  you  try  to  persuade  me  that  the  Prince  of  Orange 
would  have  intrusted  documents  of  such  importance  to 
the  first  boy  he  met  in  the  street  ?  In  the  first  place 
you  must  be  a  heretic." 

"  I  don't  know  about  heretics,"  Ned  said,  rising  to  his 
feet  and  speaking  stubbornly.  "  I  am  of  the  religion  my 
father  taught  me,  and  I  would  not  pretend  that  I  was  a 
Catholic,  not  to  save  my  life." 

"  There  you  are,  you  see,"  the  councilor  said  trium- 
phantly to  his  colleagues.  "  Look  at  the  obstinacy  and 
insolence  of  these  Hollanders.  Even  this  brat  of  a  boy 
dares  to  tell  us  that  he  is  not  a  Catholic.  Take  him 
away,"  he  said  to  the  warder,  "and  see  that  he  is  se- 
curely kept.  We  may  want  to  question  him  again  ;  but 
in  any  case  he  will  go  to  the  gallows  to-morrow  or  next 
day." 

Ned  was  at  once  led  away. 

"  "What  think  you  ?  "  Von  Aert  asked  his  colleagues 
as  the  door  closed  behind  the  prisoner.  "  Is  it  worth 
while  to  apply  the  torture  to  him  at  once  to  obtain  from 
him  the  names  of  those  for  whom  these  letters  were 
intended?  It  is  most  important  for  us  to  know.  Look 
at  this  letter ;  it  is  from  the  prince  himself,  and  refers  to 
preparations  making  for  a  general  rising." 

"  I  should  hardly  think  the  boy  would  have  been  in- 
trusted with  so  important  a  secret,"  one  of  the  other 
councilors  said  ;  "  for  it  would  be  well  known  he  would 
be  forced  by  torture  to  reveal  it  if  these  letters  were  to 
be  found  upon  them.     I  think  that  the  story  he  tells  us 


BY  PIKE  AND  BYKK  161 

is  a  true  one,  and  that  it  is  more  likely  they  would  be 
given  him  to  deliver  to  some  person  who  would  possess 
the  key  to  these  marks  on  the  letters." 

"  Well,  at  any  rate  no  harm  can  be  done  by  applying 
the  screws,"  the  councilor  said.  "  If  he  knows  they 
will  make  him  speak,  I  warrant  you. 

The  other  two  agreed. 

"  If  you  will  allow  me  to  suggest,  your  excellency," 
Genet  said  humbly,  "  that  it  might  be  the  better  way  to 
try  first  if  any  such  as  this  Blue  Cap  exists.  The  boy 
might  be  promised  his  life  if  he  could  prove  that  the 
story  was  true.  Doubtless  there  is  some  fixed  hour  at 
which  he  was  to  meet  this  Blue  Cap.  We  might  let  him 
go  to  meet  him,  keeping  of  course  a  strict  watch  over 
him.  Then  if  any  such  man  appears  and  speaks  to  him 
we  could  pounce  upon  him  at  once  and  wring  from  him 
the  key  to  these  marks.  If  no  such  man  appears  we 
should  then  know  that  the  story  was  but  a  device  to 
deceive,  and  could  then  obtain  by  some  means  the  truth 
from  him." 

The  suggestion  met  with  approval. 

"  That  is  a  very  good  plan,  and  shall  be  carried  out. 
Send  for  the  prisoner  again." 

Ned  was  brought  down  again. 

"  We  see  that  you  are  young,"  Von  Aert  said,  "  and 
you  have  doubtless  been  misled  in  this  matter,  and  knew 
not  that  you  were  carrying  treasonable  correspondence. 
We  therefore  are  disposed  to  treat  you  leniently.  At 
what  time  were  you  to  meet  this  Blue  Cap  in  the 
market?  " 

"  Within  an  hour  of  sunset,"  Ned  replied.     "  I  am  to 
be  there  at  sunset  and  to  wait  for  an  hour ;  and  was  told 
that  he  would  not  fail  to  come  in  that  time,  but  that  if 
he  did  I  was  to  come  again  the  next  day." 
1% 


162  BT  PIKE  AND  DTKS. 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will  not  fail  you,"  Von 
Aert  said  grimly,  "  for  we  shall  not  be  disposed  to  wait 
his  pleasure.  To-morrow  evening  you  will  go  with  a 
packet  and  deliver  it  to  the  man  when  he  comes  to  you. 
Beware  that  you  do  not  try  to  trick  us,  for  you  will  be 
closely  watched,  and  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you  if  you 
attempt  treachery.  If  the  man  comes  those  who  are 
there  will  know  how  to  deal  with  him." 

"  And  shall  I  be  at  liberty  to  depart  ?  "  Ned  asked 
doubtfully. 

"  Of  course  you  will,"  Von  Aert  replied ;  "  we  should 
then  have  no  further  occasion  for  you,  and  you  would 
have  proved  to  us  that  your  story  was  a  true  one,  and 
that  you  were  really  in  ignorance  that  there  was  any 
harm  in  carrying  the  packet  hither. 

Ned  was  perfectly  well  aware  that  the  councilor  was 
lying,  and  that  even  had  he  met  the  man  in  the  blue  cap 
he  would  be  dragged  back  to  prison  and  put  to  death, 
and  that  the  promise  meant  absolutely  nothing — the 
Spaniards  having  no  hesitation  in  breaking  the  most 
solemn  oaths  made  to  heretics.  He  had,  indeed,  only 
asked  the  question  because  he  thought  that  to  assent  too 
willingly  to  the  proposal  might  arouse  suspicion.  It  was 
the  very  thing  he  had  been  hoping  for,  and  which  offered 
the  sole  prospect  of  escape  from  a  death  by  torture, 
for  it  would  at  least  give  him  the  chance  of  a  dash  for 
freedom. 

He  had  named  an  hour  after  sunset  partly  because  it 
was  the  hour  which  would  have  been  probably  chosen 
by  those  who  wished  that  the  meeting  should  take  place 
unobserved,  but  still  more  because  his  chances  of  escape 
would  be  vastly  greater  were  the  attempt  made  after 
dark.  The  three  councilors  sat  for  some  time  talking 
over  the  matter  after  Ned  had  been  removed.     The  let- 


bY  Pike  AND  dtk^.  163 

ters  had  all  been  read.  They  had  been  carefully  written, 
so  as  to  give  no  information  if  they  should  fall  into  the 
wrong  hands,  and  none  of  them  contained  any  allusion 
whatever  to  past  letters  or  previous  negotiations. 

"  It  is  clear,"  Von  Aert  said,  "  that  this  is  a  conspir- 
acy, and  that  those  to  \\fhom  these  letters  are  sent  are 
deeply  concerned  in  it,  and  yet  these  letters  do  not  prove 
it.  Suppose  that  we  either  seize  this  Blue  Cap  or 
get  from  the  boy  the  names  of  those  for  whom  the  letters 
are  intended,  they  could  swear  on  the  other  hand  that 
they  knew  nothing  whatever  about  them,  and  had  been 
falsely  accused.  No  doubt  many  of  these  people  are 
nobles  and  citizens  of  good  position,  and  if  it  is  merely 
their  word  against  the  word  of  a  boy,  and  that  wrung 
from  him  by  torture,  our  case  would  not  be  a  strong 
One. 

"  Our  case  is  not  always  strong,"  one  of  the  other 
councilors  said ;  "  but  that  does  not  often  make  much 
difference." 

"  It  makes  none  with  the  lower  class  of  the  people," 
Von  Aert  agreed ;  "  but  when  we  have  to  deal  with 
people  who  have  influential  friends  it  is  always  best  to 
be  able  to  prove  a  case  completely.  I  think  that  if  we 
get  the  names  of  those  for  whom  the  letters  are  meant 
we  can  utilize  the  boy  again.  We  will  send  him  to  de- 
liver the  letters  in  person,  as  I  believe  he  was  intend 
ed  to  do.  He  may  receive  answers  to  take  back  to 
Holland  ;  but  even  if  he  does  not  the  fact  that  these 
people  should  have  received  such  letters  without  at 
once  denouncing  the  bearer  and  communicating  the 
contents  to  us,  will  be  quite  sufficient  proof  of  their 
guilt." 

"  In  that  case,"  one  of  the  others  remarked,  "  the  boy 
must  not  be  crippled  with  the  torture." 


164  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  There  will  be  no  occasion  for  that,"  Von  Aert  said 
contemptuously.  "  A  couple  of  turns  with  the  thumb- 
screw will  sufl&ce  to  get  out  of  a  boy  of  that  age  every- 
thing he  knows.  Well,  my  friends,  we  will  meet  here 
to-morrow  evening.  I  shall  go  round  to  the  Market 
Square  with  Genet  to  see  the  result  of  this  affair,  in 
which  I  own  I  am  deeply  interested  ;  not  only  because 
it  is  most  important,  but  because  it  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  I  myself  entertained  a  suspicion  of  the  boy  that 
the  discovery  of  the  plot  has  been  made.  I  will  take 
charge  of  these  letters,  which  are  for  the  time  useless 
to  us,  but  which  are  likely  to  bring  ten  men's  heads  to 
the  block." 

As  Ned  sat  alone  in  his  cell  during  the  long  hours  of 
the  following  day  he  longed  for  the  time  to  come  when 
his  fate  was  to  be  settled.  He  was  determined  that  if 
it  lay  with  him  he  would  not  be  captured  alive.  He 
would'  mount  to  the  top  story  of  a  house  and  throw 
himself  out  of  a  window,  or  snatch  a  dagger  from  one 
of  his  guards  and  stab  himself,  if  he  saw  no  mode  of 
escape.  A  thousand  times  better  to  die  so  than  to  ex- 
pire on  a  gibbet  after  suffering  atrocious  tortures,  which 
would,  he  knew,  wring  from  him  the  names  of  those  for 
whom  the  letters  were  intended. 

He  could  bear  pain  as  well  as  another  ;  but  flesh  and 
blood  could  not  resist  the  terrible  agonies  inflicted  by 
the  torture,  and  sooner  or  later  the  truth  would  be 
wrung  from  the  most  reluctant  lips.  Still  he  thought 
that  he  had  a  fair  chance  of  escape.  It  was  clear  that 
he  could  not  be  closely  surrounded  by  a  guard,  for  in 
that  case  Blue  Cap  would  not  venture  near  him.  He 
must,  therefore,  be  allowed  a  considerable  amount  of 
liberty ;  and,  however  many  men  might  be  on  watch  a 
sjiort  distance  off,  he  ought  to  be  able  by  a  sudden  rush 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  165 

to  make  his  way  through  them.  There  would  at  that 
hour  be  numbers  of  people  in  the  street,  and  this  would 
add  to  his  chance  of  evading  his  pursuers. 

He  eat  heartily  of  a  meal  that  was  brought  him  at 
midday,  and  when  just  at  sunset  the  warder  entered  the 
cell  and  told  him  to  follow  him,  he  felt  equal  to  any 
exertion.  When  he  came  down  into  the  courtyard,  a 
dozen  men  were  gathered  there,  together  with  Von 
Aert  and  his  clerk. 

"  Now,"  the  councilor  said  sternly,  "  you  see  these 
men.  They  will  be  round  you  on  all  sides,  and  I  warn 
you  that  if  you  attempt  to  escape  or  to  give  any  warning 
sign  to  this  Blue  Cap,  or  to  try  any  tricks  with  us  of 
any  sort,  you  shall  be  put  to  death  with  such  tortures 
as  you  never  dreamed  of.  Upon  tlie  other  hand,  if  you 
carry  out  my  orders  faithfully,  and  hand  over  this 
packet  to  the  man  who  meets  you,  you  will  be  at 
liberty  to  go  straight  away,  and  to  return  home  without 
molestation." 

"  I  understand,"  Ned  replied  ;  "  and  as  I  cannot  help 
myself  will  do  your  bidding.  Where  are  my  stick  and 
bundle  ?  He  will  not  know  me  unless  I  have  them.  I 
am  to  carry  them  on  my  shoulder." 

"  Ah !  I  forgot,"  the  councilor  said,  and  giving  the 
order  to  one  of  the  warders  Ned's  bundle  and  stick  were 
brought  him. 

"  You  will  stroll  leisurely  along,"  "Von  Aert  said, 
"  and  appear  natural  and  unconcerned.  We  shall  be 
close  to  you,  and  you  will  be  seized  in  an  instant  if  we 
observe  anything  suspicious  in  your  movements.  Von 
Aert  then  took  a  packet  from  his  doublet  and  handed  it 
to  Ned,  who  placed  it  in  his  belt.  The  prison  door  was 
opened ;  three  or  four  of  the  men  went  out,  and  Ned 
followed.     It  was  a  curious  feeling  to  him  as  he  walked 


166  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

down  the  street.  Round  him  were  numbers  of  people 
laughing  and  chatting  as  they  went,  while  he  though 
apparently  as  free  as  they,  was  a  prisoner  with  a  dozen 
pair  of  eyes  watching  him,  and  his  life  in  deadly  peril. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  167 


CHAPTER  IX. 

IN  HIDING. 

After  five  minutes'  walking  Ned  arrived  at  the  mar- 
ket-square and  passed  steadily  on  down  toward  the  south 
corner.  The  market  was  long  since  over,  and  the  market 
folk  had  returned  to  their  farms  and  villages,  but  there 
were  a  large  number  of  people  walking  about.  It  was 
already  growing  dusk,  and  in  another  half-hour  would 
be  dark.  Ned  turned  when  he  got  near  the  corner, 
strolled  a  short  distance  back  and  then  turned  again, 
pacing  backward  and  forward  some  thirty  or  forty  yards. 
He  carefully  abstained  from  seeming  to  stare  about. 
The  councilor  and  his  clerk  kept  within  as  hort  dis- 
tance of  him,  the  former  wrapped  up  in  a  cloak  with  a 
high  collar  that  almost  concealed  his  face. 

As  to  the  othera  watching  him,  Ned  could  only  guess 
at  them.  Four  men  he  noticed,  who  turned  whenever 
he  did;  the  others  he  guessed  were  keeping  somewhat 
further  off,  or  were  perhaps  stationed  at  the  streets  lead- 
ing out  of  the  square  so  as  to  cut  him  off  should  he  es- 
cape from  those  close  to  him.  A  few  oil  lamps  were 
suspended  from  posts  at  various  points  in  the  square, 
and  at  the  ends  of  the  streets  leading  from  it.  These 
were  lighted  soon  after  he  arrived  in  the  square.  He 
decided  that  it  would  not  do  to  make  for  the  street  lead- 
ing out  of  the  south  corner,  as  this  was  the  one  that  he 
would  be  suspected  of  aiming  for ;  and,  moreover,  men 
would  surely  be  placed  there  to  cut  off  Blue  Cap  on  his 


168  BF  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

entry.  He,  therefore,  determined  to  make  for  a  some- 
what narrow  sti'eet,  about  halfway  between  the  south 
and  west  corners. 

He  had  followed  this  on  the  day  he  entered  Brussels, 
as  one  of  the  persons  to  whoni  the  lettei-s  were  addressed 
lived  m  it.  He  knew  that  tlure  were  many  lanes  run- 
ning into  it,  and  that  at  the  lower  end  several  streets, 
branching  off  in  various  directions,  met  in  the  small 
square  in  which  it  terminated.  Half  an  hour  passed. 
It  was  now  quite  dark,  and  he  felt  that  he  had  belter 
delay  no  longer.  He  walked  half  along  his  beat  toward 
the  south  corner,  then  with  a  sudden  spring  darted  off. 
The  two  men  walking  on  that  side  of  him  were  some  ten 
paces  distant,  and  he  ran  straight  at  them.  Taken  by 
surprise,  before  they  had  time  to  throw  back  their  cloaks 
and  draw  their  rapiers,  he  was  upon  them. 

With  a  blow  from  his  leaded  stick,  delivered  with  all 
his  strength,  he  struck  one  man  to  the  ground,  and  then 
turning  to  the  other  struck  him  on  the  wrist  as  he  was 
in  the  act  of  drawing  his  sword.  The  man  uttered  a 
loud  cry  of  pain  and  rage,  and  Ned  ran  at  top  of  his  speed 
toward  the  street.  He  knew  that  he  need  fear  no  pur- 
suit from  the  two  men  he  had  encountered,  that  those 
on  the  other  side  of  him  were  some  distance  behind,  and 
that  as  so  many  people  intervened  his  pursuers  would 
probably  soon  lose  sight  of  him.  Threading  his  way 
between  the  groups  of  people,  who  had  arrested  their 
walk  at  the  sound  of  loud  and  sudden  shouting,  he  ap- 
proached the  end  of  the  street. 

By  the  light  of  the  lamp  there  he  saw  two  men  stand- 
ing with  drawn  swords.  Breaking  suddenly  into  a  walk 
he  made  for  the  house  next  to  the  street,  and  then 
turned  so  that  he  came  upon  the  men  sideways  instead 
of  from  the  front,  at  which  they  were  expecting  him. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKf!.  M 

There  was  a  sudden  exclamation  from  the  man  nearest 
to  him  ;  but  Ned  was  within  two  yards  of  him  before  he 
perceived  him,  and  before  he  was  on  guard  the  loaded 
stick  fell  with  the  full  sweep  of  Ned's  arm  upon  his  ankle, 
and  in  an  instant  he  was  prostrate,  and  Ned  darted  at 
full  speed  down  the  street  with  the  other  man  in  pursuit 
a  few  paces  behind  him. 

Before  he  had  run  far  Ned  found  that  he  could  gain 
but  little  upon  his  pursuer,  and  that  he  must  rid  himself 
of  him  if  he  were  to  have  a  chance  of  escaping.  He 
slackened  his  speed  a  little,  and  allowed  the  man  to  ^ain 
slightly  upon  him.  Thinking  that  the  fugitive  was 
within  his  grasp  the  warder  exerted  himself  to  his  utmost. 
Suddenly  Ned  sprang  into  a  doorway ;  the  man,  unable 
to  check  himself,  rushed  past.  In  a  moment  Ned  was 
out  again,  and  before  the  fellow  could  arrest  his  steps 
and  turn,  gave  him  a  violent  shove  behind,  which  liurled 
him  on  to  his  face  with  a  tremendous  crash,  and  Ned 
continued  his  way.  There  was  a  great  shouting,  but 
it  was  full  fifty  yards  away,  and  he  felt  his  hopes  rise. 
His  pursuers  were  now  all  behind  him,  and  he  felt  sure 
that  in  the  darkness  and  the  narrow  streets  he  should 
be  able  to  evade  them. 

He  took  the  first  turning  he  came  to,  turned  again  and 
again,  and  presently  slackened  his  pace  to  a  walk,  con- 
vinced that  for  a  time  his  pursuers  must  be  at  fault. 
He  was  now  among  narrow  streets  inhabited  by  the 
poorer  classes.  There  wera  no  lamps  burning  here,  an(^ 
he  began  to  wonder  which  way  he  had  better  take,  and 
where  he  should  pass  the  night.  It  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  obtain  some  other  disguise,  for  he  was  sure 
that  the  gates  would  be  so  carefully  watched  in  the 
morning  there  would  be  no  chance  whatever  of  his  get- 
ting safely  out  in  his  present  attire.     Presently,  through 


ltd  BY  PIKE  AND  DYK^. 

a  casement  on  the  ground-floor,  he  heard  the  sound  of 
low  singing^  in  a  woman's  voice.  He  stopped  at  once 
and  listened.  It  was  the  air  of  a  Lutheran  hymn  he 
had  frequently  heard  in  Holland.  Without  hesitation 
he  knocked  at  the  door,  and  lifting  the  latch  entered. 
A  women  and  girl  were  sitting  at  work  inside ;  they 
looked  up  in  surprise  at  seeing  a  stranger. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am  a  Protestant,  and 
am  hunted  by  Alva's  bloodhounds.  I  have  evaded  them 
and  1  am  safe  for  the  present ;  but  I  know  not  where  to 
go,  or  where  to  obtain  a  disguise.  As  I  passed  the 
window  I  heard  the  air  of  a  Lutheran  hymn,  and  knew 
that  there  were  within  those  who  would,  if  they  could 
aid  me." 

The  woman  looked  reprovingly  at  the  girl. 

"  How  imprudent  of  you,  Gertrude  I "  she  said.  "  Not 
that  it  is  your  fault  more  than  mine.  I  ought  to  have 
stopped  you,  but  I  did  not  think  your  voice  would  be 
heard  through  that  thick  curtain.  Who  are  you,  sir,  and 
where  do  you  come  from  ?  "  she  asked,  turning  to  Ned. 

"  I  come  from  Holland,"  he  said,  "  and  was  the  bearer 
of  important  letters  from  the  Prince  of  Orange." 

The  woman  hesitated.  "  I  would  not  doubt  you," 
she  said :  "  but  in  these  days  one  has  to  h&  suspicious  of 
one's  shadow.  However,  as  after  what  you  have  heard 
our  lives  are  in  your  hands,  I  would  fain  trust  you ; 
though  it  seems  to  me  strange  that  an  important  mis- 
sion should  be  intrusted  to  one  of  your  age  and  station." 

"  My  age  was  all  in  my  favor,"  Ned  replied.  "  As  to 
my  station,  it  is  not  quite  what  it  seems ;  for  I  am  a  gen- 
tleman volunteer  in  the  service  of  the  prince,  and  he  ac- 
cepted my  services  thinking  that  I  might  succeed  when 
a  man  would  be  suspected." 

"  I  will  give  you  shelter,"  the  woman  said  quietly ; 


Sr  PIES  AND  DYKH.  174 

"  though  I  know  that  I  risk  my  life  and  my  daughter's 
in  doing  so.  But  the  Lord  holds  us  in  his  hands,  and 
unless  it  be  his  will  we  shall  not  perish."  So  saying, 
she  got  up  and  harred  the  door. 

"  Now,  tell  me  more  as  to  how  you  came  to  fall  into 
this  peril,"  she  said. 

Ned  related  his  adventure,  and  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  effected  his  escape  from  the  hands  of  his  captors. 

"  You  have,  indeed,  had  an  escape,"  the  woman  said. 
"  There  are  few  upon  whom  Councilor  Von  Aert  lays 
his  hand  who  ever  escape  from  it.  You  have  indeed 
shown  both  skill  and  courage  in  thus  freeing  yourself." 

"  There  is  no  great  courage  in  running  away  when 
you  know  that  if  you  stay  torture  and  death  are  before 
you,"  Ned  replied. 

"  And  now,  what  are  your  plans  ?  "  the  woman  asked. 

"  My  only  plan  is  to  obtain  a  disguise  in  which  to  es- 
cape from  the  cit3\  My  mission  is  unfortunately  ended 
by  the  loss  of  my  papers,  and  I  shall  have  but  a  sorry 
story  to  tell  to  the  prince  if  I  succeed  in  making  my 
way  back  to  Holland,  of  the  utter  failure  I  liave  made 
of  the  mission  with  which  he  was  good  enough  to  intrust 
me."  He  took  from  his  belt  the  packet  that  Von  Aert 
had  given  him,  and  was  about  to  throw  it  in  the  fire 
when  his  eye  fell  upon  it.  He  opened  it  hastily,  and  ex- 
claimed  with  delight,  "  Why,  here  are  the  letters  !  That 
scoundrel  must  have  had  them  in  his  doublet,  as  well  as 
the  packet,  made  up  for  me  to  carry,  and  he  has  inadver- 
tently given  me  the  wrong  parcel.  See,  madam,  these 
are  the  letters  I  told  you  of,  and  these  are  the  marks  in 
the  corners  whose  meaning  Von  Aert  was  so  anxious  to 
discover.  Now,  if  I  can  but  obtain  a  good  disguise  I 
will  deliver  these  letters  before  I  start  on  my  way  back." 

The  girl,  who  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  spoke 


It^  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKR 

a  few  words  in  a  low  voice  to  her  mother.  The  latter 
glanced  at  Ned. 

"  My  daughter  suggests  that  you  should  disguise  your- 
self as  a  woman,"  she  said.  "  And  indeed  in  point  of 
height  you  might  pass  well,  seeing  tliat  you  are  but 
little  taller  than  myself.  But  I  fear  that  you  are  far  too 
widely  built  across  the  shouldere  to  wear  my  clothes." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  Ned  agreed,  smiling  ;  "  but  you  are 
tall  and  slight.  I  could  pass  well  enough  for  one  of 
these  Flemish  peasant  girls,  for  they  are  sometimes  near 
as  broad  as  they  are  long.  Yes,  indeed,  if  I  could  get 
a  dress  such  as  these  girls  wear  I  could  pass  easily  enough. 
I  am  well  provided  with  money,  but  unfortunately  it  is 
hidden  in  the  ground  a  mile  outside  the  gates.  I  only 
carry  with  me  a  small  sum  for  dail}'  use,  and  that  of 
courae  was  taken  from  me  by  my  jailers." 

"  Be  not  uneasy  about  money,"  the  woman  said. 
"  Like  yourself,  we  are  not  exactly  what  we  look.  I  am 
the  Countess  Von  Harp." 

Ned  made  a  movement  of  surprise.  The  name  was 
perfectly  known  to  him,  being  that  of  a  noble  in  Fries- 
land  who  had  been  executed  at  Brussels  a  few  months 
before  by  the  orders  of  the  Council  of  Blood. 

"When  my  liusband  was  murdered,"  the  Countess 
Von  Harp  went  on,  "  I  received  a  warning  from  a  friend 
that  I  and  my  daughter,  being  known  to  be  members  of 
the  Reformed  Church,  would  be  seized.  For  myself  I 
cared  little ;  but  for  my  daughter's  sake  I  resolved  to 
endeavor  to  escape.  I  knew  that  I  should  be  nowhere 
safe  in  the  Netherlands,  and  that  there  was  little  chance 
of  a  woman  and  girl  being  able  to  escape  from  the 
country,  when  upon  every  road  we  should  meet  with 
disorderly  soldiery,  and  every  town  we  should  pass 
througli  swarmed    with    Alva's    agents.     I    resolved, 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  173 

therefore,  to  stay  here.  An  old  servant  took  this  house 
for  me,  and  here  I  have  lived  ever  since  in  the  disguise 
you  see.  My  servant  still  lives  with  us,  and  goes  abroad 
and  makes  our  purchases.  Our  neighbors  are  all  arti- 
sans and  attend  to  their  own  business.  It  is  supposed 
among  them  that  I  am  one  who  has  been  ruined  in  the 
troubles,  and  now  support  myself  by  embroidery  ;  but  in 
fact  I  am  well  supplied  with  money.  When  I  came 
here  I  brought  all  my  jewels  with  me;  besides,  I  have 
several  good  friends  who  know  my  secret,  and  through 
whom,  from  time  to  time,  money  has  been  transmitted 
to  me  from  my  steward  in  Friesland.  Our  estates  in 
Brabant  have  of  course  been  confiscated,  and  for  a  time 
those  in  Friesland  were  also  seized.  But  when  the 
people  rose  four  months  ago  they  turned  out  the  man 
who  had  seized  them,  and  as  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Council  of  Blood  he  was  lucky  in  escaping  with  his  life. 
So  that,  you  see,  the  cost  of  a  peasant  woman's  dress  is 
a  matter  that  need  give  you  no  concern." 

There  was  now  a  knock  at  the  door.     It  was  repeated. 

"  It  is  my  servant,"  the  countess  said.  Ned  at  once 
unbarred  and  opened  the  door.  The  old  woman  gave 
an  exclamation  of  astonishment  at  seeing  a  stranger. 

"Come  in,  Magdalene,"  the  countess  said;  "it  is  a 
friend.     You  are  later  than  1  expected." 

*'  It  is  not  my  fault,  madam,"  the  old  servant  said. 
"  I  have  been  stopped  four  or  five  times,  and  questioned 
and  made  game  of,  by  German  soldiers  posted  at  the 
ends  of  the  streets ;  the  quarter  is  full  of  them.  I  was 
going  through  the  market-place  when  a  sudden  tumult 
arose,  and  they  say  a  prisoner  of  great  importance  has 
made  his  escape.  Councilor  Von  Aert  was  there, 
shouting  like  a  madman.  But  he  had  better  have  held 
his  tongue ;  for  as  soon  as  he  was  recognized  the  crowd 


174  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

hustled  and  beat  him,  and  went  nigh  killing  him,  when 
some  men  with  drawn  swords  rescued  him  from  theii 
hands,  and  with  great  difficulty  escorted  him  to  the 
town-hall.  He  is  hated  in  Brussels,  and  it  was  rash  of 
him  to  venture  out  after  dark." 

"  This  is  the  escaped  prisoner,  Magdalene."  The  old 
woman  looked  with  surprise  at  Ned. 

"  You  are  pleased  to  joke  with  me,  madam.  This  is 
but  a  boy." 

"  That  is  true,  Magdalene ;  but  he  is,  nevertheless, 
the  prisoner  whose  escape  angered  the  councilor  so 
terribly,  and  for  whom  the  guard  you  speak  of  are  now 
in  search." 

The  old  servant  shook  her  head.  "  Ah,  madam,  are 
you  not  running  risks  enough  of  detection  here  without 
adding  to  them  that  of  concealing  a  fugitive  ?  " 

"  Y"ou  are  right,"  Ned  said  ;  "  and  it  was  selfish  and 
wrong  of  me  to  intrude  myself  here." 

"  God  willed  it  so,"  the  countess  said.  "  My 
daughter's  voice  was  the  instrument  that  directed  your 
steps  here.  It  is  strange  that  she  should  have  sung  that 
hymn  just  as  you  were  passing,  and  that  I  should  have 
heard  her  without  checking  her.  The  hand  of  God  is 
in  all  these  things ;  therefore,  do  not  make  youi*self 
uneasy  on  our  account.  Magdalene,  we  have  settled 
that  he  shall  assume  the  disguise  of  a  young  'peasant 
girl,  and  to-morrow  you  shall  purchase  the  necessary 
garments." 

"  Yes,  he  might  pass  as  a  girl,"  the  old  servant  agreed. 
"  But,  I  pray  you,  let  him  not  stay  an  instant  in  this 
garb.  I  do  not  think  they  will  search  the  houses,  for 
the  artisans  of  Brussels  are  tenacious  of  their  rights,  and 
an  attempt  would  bring  them  out  like  a  swarm  of  bees. 
Still  it  is  better  that  he  should  not  remain  as  he  is  for 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  176 

an  hour.  Come  with  me,  young  sir ;  I  will  furnish  you 
with  clothes  at  once.  I  am  not  so  tall  as  I  was,  but 
there  were  few  taller  women  in  Friesland  than  I  was 
when  I  was  the  countess'  nurse." 

Ned  could  well  imagine  that ;  for  Magdalene,  although 
now  some  sixty  yeai-s  old,  was  a  tall,  large-framed 
woman.  He  followed  her  to  a  chamber  upstairs,  and 
was  furnished  by  her  with  all  the  necessary  articles  of 
dress ;  and  in  these,  as  soon  as,  having  placed  an  oil 
lamp  on  the  table,  she  retired,  he  proceeded  to  array 
himself,  and  presently  descended  the  stairs,  feeling  very 
strange  and  awkward  in  this  new  attire.  Gertrude  Von 
Harp  burst  into  a  fit  of  merry  laughter,  and  even  the 
countess  smiled. 

"  That  will  do  very  well,  indeed,"  she  said,  "  when 
you  have  got  on  the  Flemish  head-dress,  which  conceals 
the  hair." 

"  I  have  it  here,  madam,"  Magdalene  said ;  "  but  it 
was  useless  to  leave  it  up  there  for  him,  for  he  would 
have  no  idea  how  to  fold  it  rightly.  Now  sit  down  on 
that  stool,  sir,  and  I  will  put  it  on  for  you." 

When  this  was  done  the  metamorphosis  was  complete' 
and  Ned  could  have  passed  anywhere  without  exciting 
suspicion  that  he  was  other  than  he  seemed. 

"  That  will  do  all  very  well  for  tlie  present,"  Mag- 
dalene said  ;  "  but  the  first  thing  to-morrow  I  will  go 
out  and  get  him  a  gown  at  the  clothes-mart.  His  face 
is  far  too  young  for  that  dress.  Moreover  the  headgear 
is  not  suited  to  the  attire  ;  he  needs,  too,  a  long  plait  of 
hair  to  hang  down  behind.  That  I  can  also  buy  for 
him,  and  a  necklace  or  two  of  bright-colored  beads. 
However,  he  could  pass  now  as  my  niece  should  any  one 
chance  to  come  in.  Now  I  will  go  upstairs  and  fetx;h 
down  his  clothes  and  burn  them.    If  a  search  should  be 


176  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

made  they  will  assuredly  excite  suspicion  if  found  in  a 
house  occupied  only  by  women." 

"  You  had  best  not  do  that,  Magdalene.  Hide  them 
in  a  bed  or  up  one  of  the  chimneys.  Wlien  he  leaves 
tliis  and  gets  into  the  country  he  will  want  them  again. 
In  these  times  a  young  woman  unprotected  could  not 
walk  the  road  by  herself,  and  dressed  as  a  woman  it 
would  be  strange  for  him  to  be  purchasing  male  attire." 

"  That  is  true  enough,  madam  ;  as  you  say,  it  will 
be  better  to  hide  them  until  he  can  leave,  which  I  hope 
will  be  very  shortly." 

"  I  wish  we  could  leave  too,"  the  countess  sighed. 
"  I  am  weary  of  this  long  confinement  here,  and  it  ia 
bad  for  Gertrude  never  going  out  except  for  a  short 
walk  with  you  after  dark." 

"  It  would  not  do  to  attempt  it,"  the  old  woman  said. 
"  The  Spanish  soldiers  are  plundering  all  round  Ghent ; 
the  Germans  are  no  better  at  Antwerp.  You  know 
what  stories  are  reported  of  their  doings." 

"No,  we  could  not  go  in  that  direction,"  the  countess 
agreed  ;  "  but  I  have  thought  often,  Magdalene,  that  we 
may  possibly  make  our  way  down  to  Ostend.  Things 
are  much  quieter  on  that  line." 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  give  you  what  escort  I  could, 
madam,"  Ned  said.  "  But,  indeed,  the  times  are  bad 
for  traveling  and  as  you  are  safe  here  as  it  seems  for  the 
present,  I  would  not  say  a  word  to  induce  you  to  leave 
and  to  encounter  such  dangers  as  you  might  meet  by 
the  way.  In  a  short  time,  I  believe  tlie  greater  part  of 
the  Spaniards  and  Germans  will  march  against  Holland, 
and  Brabant  will  then  be  free  from  the  knaves  for  awhile 
and  the  journey  might  be  undertaken  with  greater 
safety." 

"  You  are  right,"  the  countess  said.     "  It  was  but  a 


£  Y  PIK^  AND  D  TKS.  177 

passing  thought,  and  now  we  have  waited  here  so  long 
we  may  well  wait  a  little  longer.  Now  tell  us  more  about 
yourself.  You  speak  Dutch  perfectly,  and  yet  it  seems 
to  me  at  times  that  there  is  some  slight  accent  in  your 
tones." 

"  I  am  only  half  Dutch,"  Ned  replied ;  "  my  father  is 
English."  He  then  related  the  whole  history  of  his  par- 
entage, and  of  the  events  which  led  him  to  take  sei*vice 
with  the  Prince  of  Orange.  When  he  had  concluded 
the  countess  said : 

"  Your  story  accounts  for  matters  which  surprised 
me  somewhat  in  what  you  first  told  me.  The  men  of 
our  Low  Countries  are  patient  and  somewhat  slow  of 
action,  as  is  shown  by  the  way  in  which  they  so  long 
submitted  to  the  cruel  tja-anuy  of  the  Spaniards.  Now 
they  have  once  taken  up  their  arms,  they  will,  I  doubt 
not,  defend  themselves,  and  will  fight  to  the  death,  how 
ever  hopeless  the  chances  may  seem  against  them  ;  but 
they  are  not  prompt  and  quick  to  action.  Therefore  the 
manner  of  your  escape  from  the  hands  of  those  who 
were  watching  you  appeared  to  me  wonderful;  hui  now 
I  know  that  you  are  English,  and  a  sailor  too,  I  can  the 
better  understand  it,  for  I  have  heard  that  your  country- 
men are  quick  in  their  decisions  and  prompt  in  action. 

"  They  say  that  many  of  them  are  coming  over  to 
fight  in  Holland ;  being  content  to  serve  without  pay, 
and  venturing  their  lives  in  our  cause,  solely  because 
our  religion  is  the  same  and  they  have  hatred  of  oppres- 
sion, having  long  been  free  from  exactions  on  the  part  of 
their  sovereigns.  Many  of  our  people  have  taken  refuge 
there,  and  I  have  more  than  once  thought  that  if  the 
Spaniards  continued  to  lord  it  in  the  Netherlands  I  would 
pass  across  the  seas  with  Gertrude.  My  jewels  would 
sell  for  enough  to  enable  us  to  live  quietly  there." 


178  ^T  PIKE  ANb  DtKlS. 

"  If  you  should  go  to  England,  madam,"  Ned  said 
earnestly,  "  I  pray  you  in  the  first  place  to  inquire  for 
-Mistress  Martin  at  Rotherhithe,  which  is  close  by  the 
city.  I  can  warrant  you  she  will  do  all  in  her  power  to 
assist  you,  and  that  her  house  will  be  at  your  disposal 
until  you  can  find  a  more  suitable  lodgment.  She  will 
know  from  me,  if  I  should  escape  from  these  dangers, 
from  how  great  a  peril  you  have  saved  me,  and  if  it 
should  be  that  I  do  not  return  home,  she  will  welcome 
you  equally  when  she  learns  from  your  lips  that  you 
took  me  in  here  when  I  was  pursued  by  the  minions  of 
the  Council  of  Blood,  and  that  you  furnished  me  with  a 
disguise  to  enable  me  to  escape  from  them." 

"  Should  I  go  to  England,"  the  countess  replied,  "  I 
will  assuredly  visit  your  mother,  were  it  only  to  learn 
whether  yo\x  escaped  from  all  the  dangers  of  your  jour- 
ney ;  but,  indeed,  I  would  gladly  do  so  on  ray  own  ac- 
count, for  it  is  no  slight  comfort  on  arriving  as  strangers 
in  an  unknown  country  to  meet  with  one  of  one's  own 
nation  to  give  us  advice  and  assistance." 

For  another  two  hours  they  sat  and  talked  of  England, 
the  countess  being  glad,  for  once,  to  think  of  another 
subject  than  the  sad  condition  of  her  country.  Then 
when  the  clock  sounded  nine  they  retired,  Magdalene 
insisting  upon  Ned  occupying  her  chamber,  while  she 
lay  down  upon  a  settle  in  the  room  in  which  they  were 
sitting.  Ned  slept  long  and  heavily  ;  he  had  had  but 
little  rest  during  the  two  previous  nights,  and  the  sun 
was  high  when  he  awoke.  As  soon  as  he  began  to  move 
about  there  ^vas  a  knock  at  his  door  and  the  old  servant 
entered. 

"I  need  not  ask  if  you  have  slept  well,"  she  remarked 
"  for  the  clocks  have  sounded  nine,  and  I  have  been 
back  an  hour  from  market.     Here  are  all  your  things, 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  179 

and  I  warrant  me  that  when  you  are  dressed  in  them 
you  will  pass  anywhere  as  a  buxom  peasant  girl." 

Indeed,  when  Ned  came  downstairs  in  the  short  petti- 
coats, trimmed  bodice,  and  bright  kerchief  pinned  across 
the  bosom,  and  two  rows  of  large  blue  beads  round  his 
neck,  his  disguise  was  perfect,  save  as  to  his  head.  This 
Magdalene  again  arranged  for  him.  "  Yes,  you  will  do 
very  well  now,"  she  said,  surveying  him  critically.  "  I 
have  bought  a  basket,  too,  full  of  eggs  ;  and  with  that 
on  your  arm  you  can  go  boldly  out  and  fear  no  detection 
and  can  walk  straight  through  the  city  gates." 

"  I  hope  I  don't  look  as  awkward  as  I  feel  ?  "  Ned 
asked,  smiling. 

"  No,  you  do  not  look  awkward  at  all.  You  had  best 
join  a  party  as  you  go  out,  and  separate  from  them  when 
once  you  are  well  beyond  the  walls." 

"  He  must  return  here  this  evening,  Magdalene,"  the 
countess  said.  "  He  has  a  mission  to  perform,  and  can- 
not leave  until  he  does." 

"  I  will  set  about  it  at  once,  countess,  and  shall  get  it 
finished  before  the  gates  are  closed.  I  will  not  on  any 
account  bring  upon  you  the  risk  of  another  night's  stay 
here." 

"  I  think  there  will  be  no  risk  in  it,"  the  countess  said 
firmly ;  "  and  for  to-day  at  least  there  is  sure  to  be  a  vigi- 
lant watch  kept  at  the  gates.  It  were  best,  too,  that 
you  left  before  noon,  for  by  that  time  most  of  the  people 
from  the  villages  round  are  returning.  If  you  are  not 
recognized  in  the  streets  there  is  no  risk  whatever  while 
you  are  in  here  ;  besides,  we  shall  be  anxious  to  know 
how  you  have  got  through  the  day.  And  another  rea- 
son why  you  had  better  stay  the  night  is  that  by  start- 
ing in  the  morning  you  will  have  the  day  before  you  to 
get  well  away,  whereas  if  you  go  at  night  you  may  weH 


180  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

miss  your  road,  especially  if  there  is  no  moon,  and  you 
do  not  know  the  country.  Therefore  I  pray  you  urgent- 
ly to  come  back  here  for  to-night.  It  is  a  pleasure  to 
us  to  have  a  visitor  here,  and  does  us  good  to  have  a 
fresh  subject  for  our  thoughts.  Gertrude  has  been  doing 
nothing  but  talk  about  England  ever  since  she  woke." 

Although  Ned  saw  that  the  old  servant  was  very  re- 
luctant that  he  sliould,  as  she  considered,  imperil  her 
charges'  safety  by  a  longer  stay,  he  could  not  refuse  the 
invitation  so  warmly  given.  Breakfast  was  now  placed 
on  the  table.  As  soon  as  the  meal  was  over  he  prepared 
to  start,  receiving  many  directions  from  Magdalene  to 
be  sure  and  not  take  long  strides,  or  to  swing  his  arms 
too  much,  or  to  stare  about,  but  to  cany  himself  discreet- 
ly, as  was  becoming  a  young  woman  in  a  town  full  of 
rough  foreign  men. 

"  How  do  you  mean  to  see  the  people  to  whom  you 
have  letters?"  the  countess  asked.  "Some  of  them, 
you  tell  me,  are  nobles,  and  it  will  not  be  easy  for  a 
peasant  girl  to  come  into  their  presence." 

"  I  am  told  to  send  up  the  message  that  a  person  from 
the  village  of  Beerholt  is  desirous  of  speaking  to  them, 
countess,"  Ned  replied.  "  I  believe  there  is  no  such  vil- 
lage, but  it  is  a  sort  of  password ;  and  I  have  another 
with  which  to  address  them  when  they  see  me." 

"  I  will  start  with  you,"  the  servant  said,  "  and  walk 
with  you  until  you  are  past  the  guards.  There  aie  many 
soldiers  about  in  the  quarter  this  morning,  and  I  hear 
they  are  questioning  every  one  whether  they  have  seen 
aught  of  a  country  lad." 

"  I  thank  you,"  Ned  replied,  "  but  I  would  rather  go 
alone.  If  I  am  detected  harm  would  only  come  to 
myself,  but  if  you  were  with  me  you  would  assuredly 
^11  be  involved  in  my  misfortune.     I  would  far  rather 


ir  P7ZJ&  AND  DYKE.  I8l 

go  alone.  I  do  not  feel  tliat  there  is  any  danger  of  my 
being  suspected  ;  and  if  I  am  alone  I  can  bandy  jokes 
with  the  soldiers  if  they  speak  to  me.  There  is  no  fear 
that  either  Spanish  or  Germans  will  notice  that  I  speak 
Dutch  rather  than  Flemish.  What  is  the  price  at  which 
1  ought  to  offer  my  eggs  ?  " 

Magdalene  told  him  the  price  she  generally  paid  to 
tlie  market  women.  "  Of  course  you  must  ask  a  little 
more  than  that,  and  let  people  beat  you  down  to  that 
figure." 

"  Now  I  am  off,  then,"  he  said,  taking  up  the  basket. 

"  May  God  keep  you  in  his  hands  !  "  the  countess 
said  solemnly.  "  It  is  not  only  your  own  life  that  is  at 
stake,  but  the  interests  of  our  country." 

"  Turn  round  and  let  me  take  a  last  look  at  you," 
Magdalene  said,  "  and  be  sure  that  everything  is  right. 
Yes,  you  will  pass ;  but  remember  what  I  told  you  about 
your  walk." 

Ned  walked  briskly  along  until  he  came  within  sight 
of  two  soldiers  standing  at  a  point  where  the  street 
branched.  He  now  walked  more  slowly,  stopping  here 
and  there  and  offering  his  eggs  to  women  standing  at 
their  doors  or  going  in  and  out.  As  he  thought  it  better 
to  effect  a  sale  he  asked  rather  lower  prices  than  those 
Magdalene  had  given  him,  and  disposed  of  three  or  four 
dozen  before  he  reached  the  soldiere.  They  made  no 
remark  as  he  passed.  He  felt  more  confident  now,  and 
began  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  his  part ;  and  when  one 
of  a  group  of  soldiers  in  front  of  a  wine  shop  made  some 
laughing  remark  to  him  he  answered  him  pertly,  and 
turned  the  laugh  of  the  man's  comrades  against  him. 

On  nearing  the  center  of  the  town  he  began  his  task 
of  delivering  the  letters,  choosing  first  those  who  resided 
in  comparatively  quiet  streets,  so  as  to  get  rid  of  as 


182  -Sr  PtKE  AND  DTKS. 

many  of  them  as  possible  before  he  entered  the  more 
crowded  tlioroughfares,  where  his  risk  of  detection  would 
be  greater.  The  only  persons  he  was  really  afraid  of 
meeting  were  Von  Aert  and  his  clerk.  The  fii-st  might 
not  detect  him,  but  he  felt  sure  that  if  the  eyes  of  the 
latter  fell  upon  him  he  would  recognize  him.  With  the 
various  burghers  he  had  little  trouble.  If  they  were  in 
their  shops  he  walked  boldly  in,  and  said  to  them,  "  I 
am  the  young  woman  from  the  village  of  Beerholt, 
whom  you  were  expecting  to  see ; "  and  in  each  case 
the  burgher  said  at  once,  "  It  is  my  wife  who  has  business 
Avith  you,'*  and  led  the  way  into  the  interior  of  the  house. 
Ned's  next  question :  "  How  is  the  wind  blowing  in 
Holland  ?  "  was  answered  by  his  being  taken  into  a  quiet 
room.  The  letter  was  then  produced,  and  in  each  case 
an  answer  more  or  less  satisfactory  was  given. 

Ned  found  that  there  were  a  large  number  of  men  in 
Brussels  ripe  for  a  revolt,  but  that  there  was  no  great 
chance  of  the  rising  taking  place  until  the  Prince  of 
Orange  had  gained  some  marked  success,  such  as  would 
encourage  hopes  that  the  struggle  might  in  the  end  be 
successful.  In  three  or  four  cases  there  were  favorable 
answers  to  the  appeals  for  funds,  one  burgher  saying 
that  he  and  his  friends  had  subscribed  between  them  a 
hundred  thousand  gulden,  which  they  would  forward  by 
the  first  opportunity  to  a  banker  at  Leyden.  One  said 
that  he  found  that  the  prince's  proclamations  of  absolute 
toleration  of  all  religions  produced  a  bad  effect  upon 
many  of  his  friends,  for  that  in  Brabant  they  were  as  at- 
tached as  ever  to  the  Catholic  religion,  and  would  be  loth 
to  see  Lutheran  and  Calvinist  churches  opened. 

"  I  know  that  the  prince  is  desirous  of  wounding  no 
one's  conscience,"  Ned  said.  "•  But  how  can  it  be  ex- 
pected the  Protestants  of  Holland  and  Zeeland  will  allow 


S Y  PIKE  AND  L  TKE.  1 83 

the  Catholics  to  have  churches,  with  priests  and  proces- 
sions, in  their  midst,  if  their  fellow  religionists  are  not 
suffered  to  worship  in  their  way  in  Brabant?  The  prince 
has  already  proclaimed  that  every  province  may,  as  at 
present,  make  its  own  rules.  And  doubtless  in  the  prov- 
inces where  the  Catholic  religion  is  dominant  it  will 
still  remain  so.  Only  he  claims  that  no  man  shall  be 
persecuted  for  his  religion." 

"  It  is  a  pity  that  we  cannot  all  be  of  one  mind,"  the 
man  said  doubtfully.  "  Were  there  no  religious  ques- 
tions between  the  provinces  they  would  be  as  one." 

"  That  may  be,"  Ned  replied.  "  But  in  religion  as 
in  all  other  things,  men  will  differ  just  as  they  do  about 
the  meats  they  eat  and  the  wines  they  drink." 

"  Well,  I  shall  do  my  best,"  the  burgher  said.  "  But 
I  fear  these  religious  differences  will  forever  stand  in  the 
way  of  any  united  action  on  the  part  of  tlie  provinces." 

'•  I  fear  that  it  will,"  Ned  agreed,  "  so  long  as  people 
think  it  more  important  to  enforce  their  neighbors'  con- 
sciences than  to  obtain  freedom  for  themselves." 

The  two  last  letters  that  Ned  had  to  deliver  were  to 
nobles,  whose  mansions  were  situated  in  the  Grand 
Square.  It  was  not  easy  to  obtain  access  here.  The 
lackeys  would  probably  laugh  in  his  face  did  he  ask 
them  to  take  his  message  to  their  master.  And  indeed 
the  disguise  he  now  wore,  although  excellent  as  protec- 
tion from  danger,  was  the  worst  possible  as  regarded  his 
chance  of  obtaining  an  interview.  By  this  time  he  had 
sold  the  greater  part  of  his  eggs  and  he  sat  down,  as 
if  fatigued  on  a  doorstep  at  a  short  distance  from  one 
of  the  mansions,  and  waited  in  the  hope  tliat  he  might 
presently  see  the  noble  with  whom  he  had  to  do,  issue 
out. 

In  half  an  hour  two  mounted  lackeys  rode  up  to  the 


1 84  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKZ. 

door,  one  of  them  leading  a  horse.  A  short  time  after- 
ward a  gentleman  came  out  and  mounted.  He  heard  a 
bystander  say  to  another,"  There  is  the  Count  of  Sluys." 
Ned  got  up,  took  his  basket,  and  as  the  count  came  along 
crossed  the  road  hurriedly  just  in  front  of  his  horse.  As 
he  did  so  he  stumbled  and  fell,  and  a  number  of  his  eggs 
rolled  out  on  the  ground.  There  was  a  laugh  among 
the  bystanders,  and  the  count  reined  in  his  hoi-se. 

"  What  possessed  you  to  run  like  that  under  my  hoi-se's 
feet,  my  poor  girl  ?"  he  asked,  as  Ned  rose  and  began  to 
cry  loudly.  Ned  looked  up  in  his  face  and  rapidly 
said :  "  I  am  the  person  you  expect  from  Beerholt." 

The  count  gave  a  low  exclamation  of  surprise, 
and  Ned  went  on,  "  How  does  the  wind  blow  in 
Holland?" 

The  count  deliberately  felt  in  his  pouch  and  drew  out 
a  coin,  which  he  handed  to  Ned. 

"  Be  at  my  back-door  in  an  hour's  time.  Say  to  the 
servant  who  opens  it,  *  I  am  the  person  expected.*  He 
will  lead  you  to  me." 

Then  he  rode  forward,  Ned  pouring  out  voluble  thanks 
for  the  coin  bestowed  upon  him. 

"  You  are  a  clever  wench,"  a  soldier  standing  by  said 
to  Ned,  laughing.  "  That  was  very  artfully  done,  and 
I  warrant  me  it  is  not  the  first  time  you  have  tried 
it." 

"  1  wasn't  going  to  carry  my  eggs  all  the  way  back," 
Ned  replied  in  an  undertone.  "  I  suppose  there  are 
tricks  in  your  trade  as  in  mine." 

The  soldier  laughed  again,  and  Ned  passing  quickly 
on  mingled  in  the  crowd,  and  soon  moved  away  a  consid- 
erable distance  from  the  house.  An  hour  later  he  went 
up  a  side  street,  in  which  was  the  door  used  by  the  serv- 
ants and  trades-people  of  the   count.     A  lackey  was 


p.  &  D.      Ned'$  strataqem  tq  meet  the  Covnt  of  Sluts.— Page  184. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  185 

standing  there.  "  I  am  the  person  expected,"  Ned  said 
quietly  to  him.  He  at  once  led  the  way  into  the  house 
up  some  backstairs  and  passages,  along  a  large  corridor, 
then  opening  a  door,  he  motioned  to  Ned  to  enter. 


186  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 


CHAPTER  X. 

ADANGEEOUS   ENCOUNTEB. 

The  Count  of  Sluys  was  sitting  at  a  table  covered 
with  papers. 

"  You  have  chosen  a  strange  disguise,"  he  said  with 
a  smile. 

"  It  is  none  of  my  choosing,"  Ned  replied.  "  I  came 
into  the  city  in  the  dress  of  a  peasant  boy,  but  was 
arrested  by  Councilor  Von  Aert,  and  had  I  not  made 
my  escape  should  probably  have  by  this  time  been  hung." 

"  Are  you  the  lad  for  whom  such  a  search  has  been 
made  ?  "  the  count  asked  in  surprise.  "  Von  Aert  is  so 
furious  he  can  talk  about  nothing  else,  and  all  the  world 
is  laughing  at  his  having  been  tricked  by  a  boy.  Had 
I  known  that  it  was  the  prince's  messenger  I  should 
not  have  felt  inclined  to  laugh ;  thinking  that  papers, 
that  would  have  boded  me  evil  if  discovered,  might 
have  been  found  upon  him." 

"They  were  found  upon  me,"  Ned  replied;  "but 
happily  I  recovered  them.  As  they  were  not  addressed, 
no  one  was  any  the  wiser.  This  is  the  one  intended  for 
you,  sir." 

The  count  opened  and  read  the  document,  and  then 
gave  Ned  a  long  message  to  deliver  to  the  prince.  It 
contained  particulars  of  his  interviews  with  several  other 
nobles,  with  details  as  to  the  number  of  men  they  could 
put  in  the  field,  and  the  funds  they  could  dispose  of  in 
aid  of  the  rising.    Ned  took  notes  of  all  the  figures  on 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  187 

a  slip  of  paper,  as  he  had  done  in  several  other  instances. 
The  count  then  asked  him  as  to  his  arrest  and  manner 
of  escape,  and  laughed  heartily  when  he  found  that 
Von  Aert  had  himself  by  mistake  returned  the  letters 
found  upon  Ned. 

"  I  have  delivered  all  but  one,"  Ned  said.  "  And 
that  I  know  not  how  to  dispose  of,  for  it  would  be  dan- 
gerous to  play  the  same  trick  again.  And,  indeed,  I 
want  if  possible  to  be  out  of  this  town  to-morrow ;  not 
so  much  for  my  own  sake,  but  because  were  I  de- 
tected might  bring  destruction  upon  those  who  are 
sheltering  me." 

"  Who  is  this  letter  for  ?  "  the  count  asked.  Ned 
hesitated ;  the  noble  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed 
was,  like  many  others  of  the  prince's  secret  adherents, 
openly  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Duke  of  Alva.  And, 
indeed,  many  were  at  that  time  playing  a  double  game, 
so  as  to  make  profit  whichever  side  was  successful  in 
the  long  run. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  better  not  to  tell  me,"  the  count  said, 
seeing  Ned's  hesitation,  "  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you 
are  so  discreet.  But  it  can  be  managed  in  this  way ; 
Take  a  pen  and  go  to  that  other  table  and  write  the 
address  on  the  letter.  I  will  call  in  my  servant  and  tell 
him  to  take  it  from  you  and  to  deliver  it  at  once,  and 
ask  for  a  reply  to  the  person  from  Beerholt.  That  is, 
if  that  is  the  pass-word  to  him  also.  He  shall  deliver 
the  reply  to  you,  and  I  will  give  you  my  promise  that  I 
will  never  ask  him  afterward  to  whom  he  took  the 
letter." 

Ned  felt  that  this  would  be  the  best  course  he  could 
adopt,  and  addressed  the  letter  at  once.  The  count 
touched  a  bell  and  the  lackey  again  entered. 

"  Take  that  letter  at  once,"  the  count  said,  motioning 


188  Mr  Pt^E  AND  DTKH, 

to  the  letter  Ned  held  in  his  hand.  "  You  will  deliver 
it  youi-self,  and  ask  that  an  answer  may  be  given  to  you 
for  the  person  from  Beerholt.  Wait  for  that  answer 
and  bring  it  back  here." 

After  the  servant  had  gone  the  count  chatted  with 
Ned  as  to  the  state  of  affairs  in  Holland,  and  asked  him 
many  questions  about  himself.  It  was  an  hour  and  a 
half  before  the  servant  returned.  He  was  advancing 
with  the  letter  to  the  count,  when  the  latter  motioned 
to  him  to  hand  it  to  Ned. 

"  Is  there  nothing  else  that  I  can  do  for  you  ?  "  he 
asked.  "  How  do  you  intend  to  travel  back  thi*ough 
the  country  ?     Surely  not  in  that  dress  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  I  was  thinking  of  procuring  another." 

"  It  might  be  difficult  for  you  to  get  one,"  the  count 
said.  "  I  will  manage  that  for  you  ;  "  and  he  again 
touched  the  bell.  "  Philip,"  he  said  to  the  lackey,  "  I 
need  a  suit  of  your  clothes  ;  a  quiet  plain  suit,  such  as 
you  would  use  if  you  rode  on  an  errand  for  me.  Bring 
them  here  at  once,  and  order  a  new  suit  for  yourself. 
He  is  but  little  taller  than  you  are,  he  went  on  when 
the  man  had  retired,  "  and  his  clothes  will,  I  doubt  not, 
fit  you.     You  have  not  got  a  horse,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Which  way  are  you  going  back  ?  " 

"  I  shall  take  the  Antwerp  road." 

"  There  is  a  clump  of  trees  about  three  miles  along 
that  road,"  the  count  said.  "  Philip  shali  be  there  with 
a  horse  for  you  at  any  hour  that  you  like  to  name." 

"  I  thank  you  greatly,  count.  I  will  be  there  at  nine 
in  the  morning.  I  shall  sally  out  in  my  present  dress, 
leave  the  road  a  mile  or  so  from  the  town,  and  find 
some  quiet  place  where  I  can  put  on  the  suit  you  have 
furnished  me  with,  and  then  walk  on  to  the  wood. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  189 

"  Very  well ;  you  shall  find  the  horee  there  at  that 
hour  without  fail.  You  are  a  brave  lad,  and  have 
carried  out  your  task  with  great  discretion.  I  hope 
some  day  to  see  you  again  by  the  side  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange." 

A  minute  later  the  lackey  returned  with  a  bundle 
containing  the  suit  of  clothes.  Ned  placed  it  in  his 
basket. 

"  Good-by,  and  a  good  journey,"  the  count  said.  Ned 
followed  the  lackey,  who  the  count  had  told  him  had 
been  born  on  his  estate,  and  could  be  implicitly  trusted, 
down  the  stairs,  and  then  made  his  way  without  inter- 
ruption to  his  lodging. 

"  Welcome  back,"  the  countess  exclaimed,  as  he  en- 
tered. "  We  have  prayed  for  you  much  to-day,  but  I 
began  to  fear  that  harm  had  befallen  yon  ;  for  it  is 
already  growing  dark,  and  I  thought  you  would  have 
been  here  two  or  three  hours  since.  How  have  you 
sped?" 

"  Excellently  well,  madam.  I  have  delivered  all  the 
letters,  and  have  obtained  answers,  in  all  cases  but  one, 
by  word  of  mouth.  That  one  is  in  writing  ;  but  I  shall 
commit  it  to  heart,  and  destroy  it  at  once.  Then,  if  I 
am  again  searched,  I  shall  not  be  in  so  perilous  a  posi- 
tion as  before." 

He  opened  the  letter  and  read  it.  As  he  had  expected, 
it  was  written  with  extreme  caution,  and  in  evidently 
a  feigned  hand ;  no  names  either  of  places  or  persons 
were  mentioned.  The  writer  simply  assured  "  his  good 
cousin  "  of  his  good-will,  and  said  that  owing  to  the 
losses  he  had  had  in  business  from  the  troubled  times, 
he  could  not  say  at  present  how  much  he  could  venture 
to  aid  him  in  the  new  business  on  which  he  had  em- 
barked. 


190  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

After  reading  it  through,  Ned  threw  the  paper  into 
the  fire. 

"  He  did  not  feel  sure  as  to  whom  he  was  writing," 
he  said,  "  and  feared  treachery.  However,  as  I  have 
obtained  nine  answers,  I  need  not  mind  if  this  be  but  a 
poor  one.  Now,  madam,  I  am  ready  to  start  at  half- 
past  seven  in  the  morning.  I  have  been  furnished  with 
another  disguise  to  put  on  when  I  get  beyond  the  walls  ; 
and  a  horse  is  to  be  in  waiting  for  me  at  a  point  three 
miles  away  ;  so  that  I  hope  1  shall  be  able  to  make  my 
way  back  without  much  difficulty." 

Accordingl}'^  in  the  morning,  after  many  thanks  to 
the  Countess  Von  Harp  for  her  kindness,  and  the  ex- 
pression of  his  sincerest  hope  that  they  might  meet 
again,  either  in  England  or  Holland,  Ned  started  on 
his  way.  On  reaching  one  of  the  streets  leading  to  the 
gate  he  fell  in  behind  a  group  of  country  people,  who, 
having  early  disposed  of  the  produce  they  had  brought 
to  market,  were  making  their  way  home.  Among  them 
was  a  lad  of  about  his  own  age ;  and  on  reaching  the 
gate  two  soldiers  at  once  stepped  forward  and  seized 
him,  to  the  surprise  and  consternation  of  himself  and 
his  friends.  The  soldiers  paid  no  heed  to  the  outcry, 
but  shouted  to  some  one  in  the  guardhouse,  and  imme- 
diately a  man  whom  Ned  recognized  as  one  of  the  warders 
who  had  attended  him  in  prison  came  out. 

"  That  is  not  the  fellow,"  he  said,  after  a  brief  look 
at  the  captive.  "  He  is  about  the  same  age,  but  he  is 
much  fairer  than  our  fellow,  and  in  no  way  like  him  in 
face." 

Ned  did  not  wait  to  hear  the  result  of  the  examina- 
tion, but  at  once  passed  on  out  of  the  gate  with  the 
country  people  unconnected  with  the  captive.  A 
minute  or  two  later  the  latter  with  his  friends  issued 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  191 

forth.  Ned  kept  about  halfway  between  the  two  parties 
until  he  reached  a  lane  branching  off  the  road  in  the 
direction  in  which  he  wished  to  go.  Following  this  for 
a  mile  he  came  into  the  Ghent  road,  and  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  the  place  where  he  had  hidden  his 
money.  Going  behind  a  stack  of  corn,  a  short  distance 
away,  he  changed  his  clothes  ;  and  pushing  the  female 
garments  well  into  the  stack,  went  on  his  way  again, 
well  pleased  to  be  once  more  in  male  attire. 

The  clothes  fitted  him  well,  and  were  of  a  sober  color, 
such  as  a  trusty  retainer  of  a  noble  house  would  wear 
upon  a  journey.  He  retraced  his  steps  until  again  on 
the  road  to  Antwerp,  and  followed  this  until  he  came  to 
the  clump  of  trees.  Here  the  count's  servant  was 
awaiting  him  with  two  horses.  He  smiled  as  Ned 
came  up. 

"  If  it  had  not  been  my  own  clothes  you  are  wearing, 
I  should  not  have  known  you  again,"  he  said.  "  The 
count  bade  me  ask  you  if  you  had  need  of  money  ?  If 
so,  I  was  to  hand  you  this  purse." 

"  Give  my  thanks  to  the  count,"  Ned  replied,  "  and 
say  that  I  am  well  furnished." 

"  Not  in  all  respects,  I  think,"  the  man  said. 

Ned  thought  for  a  minute. 

"  No,"  he  said.     "  I  have  no  arms." 

The  man  took  a  brace  of  pistols  from  the  holsters  of 
his  own  horse  and  placed  them  in  those  on  Ned's  saddle, 
and  then  unbuckled  his  sword-belt  and  handed  it  to 
Ned. 

"  It  is  ill  traveling  unarmed  in  the  Netherlands  at 
present,"  he  said.  "  What  with  the  Spaniards  and  the 
Germans,  and  the  peasants  who  have  been  driven  to 
take  to  a  robber's  life,  no  man  should  travel  without 
weapons.     The  count  bade  me  give  you  these,  and  sa.y 


192  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

he  was  sure  you  would  use  them  well  if  there  should  be 
need." 

Ned  leaped  into  the  saddle,  aud  with  sincere  thanks 
to  the  man  galloped  off  toward  Antwerp.  Unless  ill 
fortune  should  again  throw  him  in  the  way  of  Von  Aert 
he  now  felt  safe ;  and  he  had  no  fear  that  this  would 
be  the  case,  for  they  would  be  devoting  their  whole 
energy  to  the  search  for  him  in  Brussels.  He  burst  into 
a  fit  of  hearty  laughter  as  he  rode  along,  at  the  thought 
of  the  fury  the  councilor  must  have  been  thrown  into 
when,  upon  his  return  home,  he  discovered  that  he  had 
given  away  the  wrong  packet  of  letters.  He  would 
have  been  angry  enough  before  at  the  escape  of  the 
captive  he  was  himself  watching,  and  the  loss  thereby 
of  the  means  upon  which  he  had  reckoned  to  discover 
the  ownership  of  the  lettere,  and  so  to  swell  the  list  of 
victims.  Still  he  doubtless  consoled  himself  at  the 
thought  that  he  was  sure  before  many  hours  to  have  his 
prisoner  again  in  his  power,  and  that,  after  all,  an- 
noying as  it  was,  the  delay  would  be  a  short  one  indeed. 
But  when  he  took  the  packet  from  his  pocket,  and 
discovered  that  he  had  given  up  the  all-important  docu- 
ments, and  had  retained  a  packet  of  blank  paper,  he 
must  have  seen  at  once  that  he  was  foiled.  He  might 
recapture  the  prisoner,  torture  him,  and  put  him  to 
death ;  but  his  firet  step  would  of  course  have  been  to 
destroy  the  precious  letters,  and  there  would  be  no 
evidence  forthcoming  against  those  for  whom  they  were 
intended,  and  who  were  doubtless  men  of  considerable 
standing  and  position,  and  not  to  be  assailed  upon  the 
mere  avowal  extracted  by  torture  from  a  boy  and  unsup- 
ported by  any  written  proofs. 

«  'T'Tr,.»i-  evU-looking  clerk  of  his  will  come  in  for  a 
ghare  ot  im  displeasure,"  Ned  thought  to  himself.    "  I 


hY  PJKE  AND  DYkK  198 

believe  that  he  is  worse  than  his  master,  and  will  take 
it  sorely  to  heart  at  having  been  tricked  by  a  boy.  I 
should  have  scant  mercy  to  expect  should  I  ever  fall 
into  their  hands  again." 

Ned  rode  through  the  city  of  Mechlin  without  drawing 
rein.  It  was  but  a  month  since  that  it  had  been  the 
scene  of  the  most  horrible  butchery,  simply  because  it 
had  opened  its  gates  to  the  Prince  of  Orange  on  his 
forward  march  to  attempt  the  relief  of  Mons.  A  few  of 
the  prince's  German  mercenaries  had  been  left  there  as 
a  garrison.  These  fired  a  few  shots  when  the  Spanish 
array  approached,  and  then  fled  in  the  night,  leaving 
the  town  to  the  vengeance  of  the  Spaniards.  >  In  the 
morning  a  procession  of  priests  and  citizens  went  out 
to  beg  for  pardon,  but  the  Spaniards  rushed  into  the 
town  and  began  a  sack  and  a  slaughter  that  continued 
for  three  days. 

The  churches,  monasteries,  and  religious  houses  of 
every  kind,  as  well  as  those  of  the  private  citizens,  were 
sacked ;  and  the  desecration  of  the  churches  by  the 
fanatics  of  Antwerp,  for  which  hundreds  of  heretics  had 
been  burnt  to  death,  was  now  repeated  a  thousand-fold 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  soldiers  of  Philip.  The  orna- 
ments of  the  altars,  the  chalices,  curtains,  carpets,  gold 
embroidered  robes  of  the  priests,  the  repositories  of  the 
Host,  the  precious  vessels  used  in  extreme  unction,  the 
rich  clothing  and  jewelry  of  the  effigies  of  the  Virgin 
and  saints  were  all  plundered.  The  property  of  the 
Catholic  citizens  was  taken  as  freely  as  that  of  the 
Protestants ;  of  whom,  indeed,  there  were  few  in  the 
city.  Men,  women,  and  children  were  murdered  whole- 
sale in  the  streets. 

Even  the  ultra-Catholic  Jean  Richardot,  member  of 
the  Grand  Council,  in  reporting  upon  the  events,  ended 

Id 


IH  BT  PIKE  AND  BY  KB. 

his  narration  by  saying,  "  He  could  say  no  more,  for  his 
hair  stood  on  end,  not  only  at  recounting,  but  even  at 
remembering  the  scene."  The  survivors  of  the  sack 
were  moving  listlessly  about  the  streets  of  the  ruined 
city  as  Ned  rode  through.  Great  numbei-s  had  died  of 
hunger  after  the  conclusion  of  the  pillage ;  for  no  food 
was  to  be  obtained,  and  none  dare  leave  their  houses 
until  the  Spanish  and  Geraian  troops  had  departed. 
Zutphen  had  suffered  a  vengeance  even  more  terrible 
than  that  of  Mechlin.  Alva  had  ordered  his  son,  Fred- 
erick, who  commanded  the  army  that  marched  against 
it,  to  leave  not  a  single  man  alive  in  the  city,  and  to 
burn  every  house  to  the  ground ;  and  the  orders  were 
literally  obeyed.  The  garrison  were  first  put  to  the 
sword,  and  then  the  citizens  were  attacked  and  slaugh- 
tered wholesale.  Some  were  stripped  naked  and  turned 
out  to  freeze  to  death  in  the  fields.  Five  hundred  were 
tied  back  to  back  and  drowned  in  the  river.  Some  were 
hung  up  by  their  feet,  and  suffered  for  many  hours  until 
death  came  to  their  relief. 

Ned  put  up  at  Antwerp  for  the  night.  The  news  of 
the  destruction  of  Zutphen,  and  of  the  horrors  per- 
petrated there,  had  arrived  but  a  few  hours  before,  and 
a  feeling  of  the  most  intense  horror  and  indignation 
filled  the  inhabitants  ;  but  none  dared  to  express  what 
every  one  felt.  The  fate  of  Mechlin  and  Zutphen  was, 
as  Alva  had  meant  it  to  be,  a  lesson  so  terrible,  that 
throughout  the  Netherlands,  save  in  Holland  and 
Zeeland  alone,  the  inhabitants  were  palsied  by  terror. 
Had  one  great  city  set  the  example  and  risen  against 
the  Spaniards,  the  rest  would  have  followed ;  but  none 
dared  be  the  first  to  provoke  so  terrible  a  vengeance. 
Men  who  would  have  risked  their  own  lives  shrank  from 
exposing   their  wives   and  children   to   atrocities   and 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  195 

death.  It  seemed  that  conflict  was  useless.  Van  der 
Berg,  a  brother-in-law  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  who  had 
been  placed  by  the  prince  as  Governor  of  Guelderland, 
and  Overyssel,  fled  by  night  and  all  the  cities  which  had 
raised  the  standard  of  Orange  deserted  the  cause  at 
once.  Friesland,  too,  again  submitted  to  the  Spanish 
yoke. 

Ned,  after  putting  up  his  horse  at  a  hotel  at  A  nt- 
werp,  sauntered  out  into  the  streets.  Antwerp  at  that 
time  was  one  of  the  finest  and  wealthiest  towns  in  Europe. 
Its  public  buildings  were  magnificent,  the  town-hall  a 
marvel  of  architectural  beauty.  He  stood  in  the  great 
square  admiring  its  beauties  and  those  of  the  cathedral 
when  he  was  conscious  of  some  one  staring  fixedly  at 
him,  and  he  could  scarce  repress  a  start  when  he  saw 
the  malicious  face  of  Genet,  the  clerk  of  Councillor 
Von  Aert.  His  first  impulse  was  to  fly,  but  the  square 
was  full  of  burghers,  with  many  groups  of  Spanish 
soldiers  sauntering  about ;  he  could  not  hope  to  escape. 

He  saw  by  the  expression  on  Genet's  face  that  as  yet 
he  was  not  sure  of  his  identity.  He  had  before  seen 
him  only  as  a  country  boy,  and  in  his  present  attire  his 
appearance  was  naturally  a  good  deal  changed.  Still 
the  fixed  stare  of  the  man  showed  that  his  suspicions 
were  strongly  aroused,  and  Ned  felt  sure  that  it  would 
not  be  long  before  he  completely  recognized  him.  Noth- 
ing could  be  more  unfortunate  than  that  this  man  whom 
he  had  believed  to  be  diligently  searching  for  him  in 
Brussels  should  thus  meet  him  in  the  streets  of  Ant- 
werp. Turning  the  matter  over  rapidly  in  his  mind  he 
saw  but  one  hope  of  escape.  He  sauntered  quietly  up 
to  a  group  of  soldiers. 

"My  friends,"  he  said,  "do  you  want  to  earn  a  few 
crowns  ?  ** 


196  BY  PIKE  AND  DYHIS. 

"  That  would  we  right  gladly,"  one  of  them  replied, 
"  seeing  that  His  Gracious  Majesty  has  forgotten  to  pay 
us  for  well-nigh  a  year." 

"  There  is  a  hang-dog  villain  with  a  squint,  in  a  russet 
cloak  and  doublet,  just  behind  me,"  Ned  said.  "  I  have 
had  dealings  with  him,  and  know  him  and  his  master 
to  be  villains.  He  claims  that  I  am  in  debt  to  his  mas- 
ter, and  it  may  be  that  it  is  true ;  bu^  I  have  particular 
reasons  for  objecting  to  be  laid  by  the  heels  for  it  just 
now." 

"  That  is  natural  enough,"  the  soldier  said.  "  I  have 
experienced  the  same  unpleasantness,  and  can  feel  for 
you." 

"  See  here,  then,"  Ned  said.  "  Here  are  ten  crowns, 
which  is  two  apiece  for  you.  Now,  I  want  you  to  hustle 
against  that  fellow,  pick  a  quarrel  with  him  and  charge 
him  with  assaulting  you,  and  drag  him  away  to  the 
guardhouse.  Give  him  a  slap  on  the  mouth  if  he  cries 
out,  and  throw  him  into  a  cell,  and  let  him  cool  his  heels 
there  till  morning.  That  will  give  me  time  to  finish 
my  business  and  be  off  again  into  the  country." 

"  That  can  be  managed  easil}'^  enough,"  the  soldier 
said  with  a  laugh.  "  He  is  an  ill-favored-looking  varlet ; 
and  is,  I  doubt  not,  a  pestilent  heretic.  It  would  be  a 
pleasure  to  cuff  him  even  without  your  honor's  crowns." 

"  Here  is  the  money,  then,"  Ned  said ;  "  but  above 
all,  as  I  have  said,  do  not  let  him  talk  or  cry  out  or 
make  a  tumult.     Nip  him  tightly  by  the  neck." 

"  We  know  our  business,"  the  soldier  said.  "  You 
can  rely  on  us  to  manage  your  affair." 

Ned  sauntered  quietly  on.  In  a  minute  or  two  he 
heard  a  loud  and  sudden  altercation,  then  there  was 
the  sound  of  blows,  and  looking  round  he  saw  two  oi 
the  soldiers  shaking  Genet  violently.     The  man  endeav- 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  197 

ored  to  shout  to  the  crowd ;  but  one  of  the  soldiers 
smote  him  heavily  on  the  mouth,  and  then  surrounding 
him  they  dragged  him  away.  "  That  is  very  satisfact- 
orily done,"  Ned  said  to  himself,  "  and  it  is  by  no  means 
likely  that  Master  Genet  will  get  a  hearing  before  to- 
morrow morning.  He  will  be  pushed  into  a  cell  in  the 
guard-room  on  the  charge  of  brawling  and  insolence, 
and  it  is  not  probable  that  any  one  will  go  near  him 
till  the  morning.  I  certainly  should  like  to  peep  in 
and  have  a  look  at  him.  His  rage  would  be  good  to 
see ;  and  he  has  been  instrumental  in  sending  such 
hundreds  of  men  to  prison  that  one  would  like  to  see 
how  he  feels  now  that  it  is  his  turn.  Still  I  must  not 
count  too  surely  upon  having  time.  He  may  possibly 
find  some  officers  who  will  listen  to  his  tale,  although  I 
do  not  think  he  is  likely  to  do  that ;  but  still  it  would 
be  foolish  to  risk  it,  and  I  will  mount  my  horse  and 
ride  on  at  once." 

The  ostler  was  somewhat  surprised  when  Ned  told 
him  that  he  had  changed  his  mind,  and  that,  instead  of 
remaining  for  the  night  at  Antwerp,  he  should  ride  for- 
ward at  once.  As  Ned  paid  him  handsomely  for  the 
feed  the  horse  had  had  he  made  no  remark,  and  Ned 
mounted  and  rode  out  through  the  town  by  the  gate 
through  which  he  had  entered.  Then  he  made  a  wide 
detour  round  the  town,  and  rode  on  along  the  bank  of 
the  river  until  he  came  to  a  ferry.  Here  he  crossed, 
and  then  rode  on  until  he  reached  a  village,  where  he 
resolved  to  stop  the  night,  being  now  off  the  main  roads, 
and  therefore  fairly  safe  from  pursuit,  even  should  Genet 
be  able  to  satisfy  his  captors  that  a  mistake  had  been 
made,  and  that  those  who  captured  him  had  in  fact  been 
aiding  a  fugitive  to  escape  from  justice. 

The  host  of  the  little  inn  apologized  for  the  poor  fare 


198  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE. 

that  was  set  before  him,  on  the  ground  of  the  exactions 
of  the  soldiers.  "  One  can  scaicelj'-  call  one's  life  one's 
own,"  he  grumbled.  "  A  body  of  them  rode  into  the 
village  yesterday  and  stripped  it  clear  of  everything, 
maltreating  all  who  ventured  even  to  remonstrate. 
They  came  from  Antwerp,  I  believe ;  but  there  is  no 
saying,  and  even  if  we  knew  them  it  would  be  useless 
to  make  complaints." 

Ned  assured  his  host  that  he  was  very  indifferent  in 
the  matter  of  food. 

"  In  these  days,"  he  said,  "  if  one  can  get  a  piece  of 
bread  one  may  think  one's  self  lucky.  But  you  have,  I 
hope,  sufficient  forage  for  my  horse." 

"  Yes,"  the  landlord  replied ;  "  their  horses  ate  as 
much  as  they  could,  but  they  could  not  carry  off  my 
supply  of  corn.  Indeed  the  horses  were  pretty  well 
laden  as  it  was  with  ducks  and  geese.  I  let  them  have 
as  much  wine  as  they  could  drink,  and  of  the  best,  so 
they  did  not  trouble  to  go  down  into  the  cellar.  If  they 
had  they  would  likely  enough  have  broached  all  the 
casks  and  let  the  wine  run.  There  is  nothing  that  these 
fellows  are  not  capable  of;  they  seem  to  do  mischief  of 
pure  devilment." 

Ned  had  scarcely  finished  his  meal  when  a  tramping 
of  horses  was  heard  outside. 

"  The  saints  protect  us  !  "  the  landlord  exclaimed. 
"  Here  are  either  these  fellows  coming  back  again,  or 
another  set  doubtless  just  as  bad." 

A  minute  later  the  door  opened  and  a  party  of  a 
dozen  soldiers  entered. 

"  Wine,  landlord !  and  your  best ! "  a  sergeant  said. 
"  Some  comrades  who  called  here  yesterday  told  us  that 
your  tap  was  good,  so  we  have  just  ridden  over  to  give 
you  a  turn." 


ST  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  199 

The  landlord  groaned. 

"  Gracious,  sirs,"  he  said,  "  I  am  but  a  poor  man,  and 
your  comrades  on  parting  forgot  to  settle  for  their  wine. 
Another  two  or  three  visits,  and  I  am  ruined." 

A  volley  of  impatient  oaths  at  once  broke  out,  and 
without  further  hesitation  the  terrified  landlord  hurried 
away,  and  returned  loaded  with  flasks  of  wine,  upon 
which  the  soldiers  were  speedily  engaged. 

"And  who  may  you  be,  young  sir?"  one  of  them 
asked  Ned,  who  was  sitting  at  a  small  table  apart  from 
the  rest. 

"  I  am  simply  a  traveler,"  Ned  replied,  "  engaged  upon 
my  master's  business." 

"  You  are  a  likely  looking  young  fellow  too,"  the 
soldier  said,  "  and  would  have  made  a  good  soldier  if 
you  had  had  the  chance,  instead  of  jogging  about  doing 
your  lord's  bidding ;  but  I  warrant  me  you  are  no  better 
than  the  rest  of  your  countrymen,  and  do  not  know  one 
end  of  a  sword  from  the  other." 

"  I  am  not  skilled  in  arms,"  Ned  replied,  "  though  my 
experience  goes  a  little  further  than  you  say ;  but  as 
you  gentlemen  protect  the  Netherlands,  and  we  have  no 
army  of  our  own,  I  have  not  the  opportunity,  even  had 
I  wished  it,  to  become  a  soldier." 

"  Move  over  here,"  the  soldier  said,  "  and  join  us  in  a 
cup  to  the  honor  of  Philip  and  confusion  to  the  Prince 
of  Orange  and  all  traitors." 

*'  I  will  join  you  in  drinking  to  Philip,  for  in  truth 
he  is  a  great  monarch  and  a  powerful,  and  I  will  also 
drink  to  the  confusion  of  all  traitors  whomsoever  they 
may  be." 

"  You  are  all  traitors  at  heart,"  one  of  the  Spaniards 
who  had  not  before  spoken  put  in.     "  There  is  not  a 


^66  AF  PHE  ANt)  DYKE, 

native  of  the  Netherlands  but  would  rise  against  us 
to-morrow." 

"  I  think  that  is  true  speaking,"  said  Ned  quietly. 
"  There  are  many  traitors  in  the  Netherlands,  I  grant 
you,  but  there  are  others  to  whom  your  words  can 
hardly  apply." 

"  They  are  aU  the  same,"  the  soldier  said  angrily. 
"  Knaves  every  one  of  them.  However,  before  we  have 
done  with  them  we  will  reduce  their  number." 

Ned  did  not  reply ;  but  having  drank  the  glass  of 
wine,  returned  to  his  seat,  and  shortly  afterward,  when 
the  soldiers  began  to  quarrel  among  themselves,  slipped 
from  the  room.  The  landlord  was  outside,  pacing  anx- 
iously up  and  down. 

"  Are  there  any  more  of  them  in  the  village  ?  "  Ned 
asked. 

"  Not  that  I  know  of,"  he  answered  ;  "  and  to  me  it 
makes  no  difference.  They  will  stay  here  swilling  my 
wine  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  like  enough  will  set 
fire  to  my  house  before  they  ride  away.  I  have  just 
sent  off  my  wife  and  daughters  to  be  out  of  their  reach. 
As  for  myself,  I  am  half-minded  to  mix  poison  with 
their  wine  and  finish  with  them." 

"  That  would  only  bring  down  vengeance  upon  your- 
self," Ned  said.  "  Some  would  probably  escape  and  tell 
the  tale.  At  any  rate,  as  there  are  so  large  a  number 
there  would  be  sure  to  be  inquiry  when  they  were  found 
to  be  missing,  and  no  doubt  they  mentioned  to.  some  of 
their  friends  before  they  started  where  they  were  com- 
ing to,  and  inquiry  would  be  made.  You  could  never 
get  rid  of  all  their  bodies.  Besides,  doubtless  others  in 
the  village  heard  them  ride  up,  and  know  that  they 
have  been  here  ;  so  you  could  not  escape  detection.  It 
is  better  to  put  up  with  them." 


ir  Pt^S  AND  i)YKE.  20i 

*'  Yes,  if  there  were  only  these  fellows  ;  but  you  will 
see  that  another  party  will  come,  and  another,  until  I 
am  entirely  ruined." 

"  If  you  think  that,  I  would  in  the  morning  shut  up 
my  house  and  depart,  and  not  return  until  these  troubles 
are  over." 

"  And  then  come  back  and  find  my  house  burned 
down,"  the  innkeeper  groaned. 

"  Better  that  than  to  see  yourself  gradually  ruined, 
and  perhaps  lose  your  life,"  Ned  said. 

"  There  is  nowhere  to  go  to,"  the  innkeeper  said  with 
a  shake  of  his  head. 

"  You  might  do  as  many  others  have  done,"  Ned  re- 
plied, "  and  go  to  Holland,  where  at  least  you  would 
be  safe." 

"  But  not  for  long,"  the  man  said.  "  The  army  will 
soon  be  on  the  march  in  that  direction,  and  my  fate 
there  would  be  worse  than  here.  Here  I  am  only  an 
innkeeper  to  be  fleeced  ;  there  I  should  be  regarded  as 
a  heretic  to  be  burnt.  Listen  to  them.  They  are  fight- 
ing now.  Do  you  hear  my  mugs  crashing?  I  only  hope 
that  they  will  kill  each  other  to  the  last  man.  I  should 
advise  you,  sir,  to  be  off  at  once.  They  may  take  it  into 
their  heads  that  you  are  some  one  it  behooves  them  to 
slay,  it  mattei*s  not  whom;  and  you  would  certainly 
get  no  sleep  here  to-night  if  you  stay." 

"  That  is  true  enough,"  Ned  agreed ;  "  and  perhaps 
it  would  be  the  best  way  for  me  to  get  on  horseback 
again,  but  I  know  not  the  road,  and  might  likely  enough 
miss  it  altogether,  and  drown  myself  in  one  of  your 
ditches." 

"  I  will  send  my  boy  with  you  to  put  you  on  to  the 
road,"  the  landlord  said.  "  I  sent  him  out  to  sleep  in 
the  stables,  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  these  despera- 


M  Ar  PIKE  AND  DYKR 

does.  He  will  walk  beside  your  horse  uiitil  you  get 
into  the  main  road." 

Ned  willingly  accepted  the  proposal,  for  indeed  he 
felt  that  there  might  be  danger  in  remaining  in  the 
house  with  these  drunken  soldiers.  He  accordingly 
paid  his  reckoning,  and  was  soon  on  horseback  again, 
with  the  landlord's  son,  a  boy  of  some  ten  years  old, 
walking  beside  him.  In  half  an  hour  they  came  upon  a 
broad  road. 

"  This,"  the  lad  said,  "  will  take  you  to  St.  Nicholas." 

Ned  gave  the  boy  a  crown  for  his  trouble,  and  rode 
slowly  along.  He  had  no  idea  of  entering  St. 
Nicholas,  for  it  was  now  nigh  eleven  o'clock  at  night, 
and  the  arrival  of  a  traveler  at  such  an  hour  would  be 
sure  to  attract  attention.  The  night,  too,  was  dark,  and 
he  could  scarce  see  the  road  he  was  following.  After 
thinking  it  over  for  some  time  he  dismounted,  led  his 
horse  a  distance  from  the  road,  fastened  the  reins  to  a 
bush,  and  threw  himself  down  on  the  ground  to  wait 
for  daylight.  The  night  was  cold,  and  a  fine  rain 
was  falling.  Ned  got  up  from  time  to  time  and 
walked  about  to  keep  himself  warm,  and  was  heartily 
glad  when  he  saw  the  first  rays  of  daylight  in  the 
east. 

After  waiting  for  half  an  hour  he  mounted,  and  after 
riding  a  few  miles  entered  a  large  village.  Thinking 
that  it  would  be  safer  than  at  St.  Nicholas,  he  halted 
there.  It  was  still  raining,  and  the  drenched  state  of 
his  clothes  therefore  excited  no  comment  beyond  the 
host's  remark,  "  You  must  have  started  early  to  have 
got  so  wet  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  was  up  before  daylight.  I  have 
a  change  of  clothes  in  my  saddle-bag,  and  shall  be  glad 
to  put  them  on.     Will  you  order  your  man  to  give  my 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 


208 


horse  a  good  rub  down,  and  let  him  have  a  hot  mash. 
How  far  am  I  from  Ghent  now  ?  " 

"  If  you  have  come  from  Antwerp,  sir,  you  have  come 
just  halfway." 

Ned  changed  his  clothes  and  had  some  breakfast,  and 
then  as  he  sat  by  the  fire  the  feeling  of  warmth  and  com- 
fort after  his  long  and  cold  night  overpowered  him,  and 
he  went  fast  to  sleep. 


204  S^  Pl^i^  -^^D  DYKS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SAVING  A   VICTIM. 

Ned  slept  for  some  hours.  When  he  woke  he  heard 
the  landlord  talking  in  loud  tones  in  the  passage  out- 
side. "  I  tell  you,  wife  it  is  a  burning  shame.  Mynheer 
Von  Bost  has  never  done  a  soul  harm  in  his  life.  He 
has  always  been  ready  to  open  his  purse  strings  in  case 
of  distress ;  he  is  a  man  that  does  not  meddle  in  any 
way  with  politics.  It  is  true  that  he  does  not  go  to  mass, 
but  that  hurts  no  one  ;  and  there  is  many  a  ne'er-do-well 
in  the  village  who  never  darkens  the  church  door.  If 
he  prefers  to  pray  in  his  own  house  and  in  his  own  way, 
what  matter  is  it  to  any  one  ?  His  cloth-mill  gives  em- 
ployment to  half  the  village.  What  we  shall  do  if  it 
is  shut  up  I  am  sure  I  don't  know.  But  what  do  they 
care  for  the  village.  Mynheer  Von  Bost  is  a  Protestant 
and  a  rich  man — that  is  quite  enough  for  the  Blood 
Council ;  so  he  and  his  pretty  young  wife  are  to  be 
di*agged  off  and  executed." 

"What  is  that?"  Ned  asked,  opening  the  door. 
"  Can't  the  Blood  Council  even  leave  your  quiet  village 
alone?" 

"  They  can  leave  nothing  alone,"  the  landlord  said 
bitterly.  "  An  hour  ago  four  of  their  officials  rode 
up  under  one  of  the  agents  of  the  Council — a  squint- 
eyed  villain.  They  stopped  at  the  door  and  asked  for 
the  house  of  Mynheer  Von  Bost,  and  then  rode  off,  and 
half  an  hour  afterward  one  of  the  servants  ran  down 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  205 

into  the  village  with  the  news  that  her  master  and  mis- 
tress had  been  arrested,  and  that  they  were  to  be  taken  to 
Antwerp  to  be  executed  ;  for  that,  as  it  seems,  they 
had  already  been  tried  without  their  knowing  anything 
about  it. 

Ned  started  when  he  heard  the  landlord  describe  the 
leader  of  the  party.  This,  then,  accounted  for  Genet's 
presence  at  Antwerp  ;  he  had  been  sent  from  Brussels 
to  arrest  this  cloth  manufacturer.  He  had  evidently 
succeeded  in  establishing  his  identity  late  in  the  even- 
ing or  at  early  morning,  and  guessing  that  Ned  would 
have  ridden  on  without  loss  of  time  after  setting  the 
soldiers  on  to  assault  him,  had  proceeded  to  carry  out 
the  mission  with  which  he  was  charged. 

"  The  villagers  would  tear  the  villain  limb  from  limb 
if  they  dared,"  the  landlord  went  on. 

«  Why  don't  they  dare  ?  "  Ned  asked. 

"  Why  ?  Why,  because  we  should  be  having  a  troop 
of  soldiers  down  here  in  twenty-  four  hours,  and  the 
village  would  be  burnt,  and  every  man  in  it,  and 
woman  too,  put  to  death.  No,  no,  sir ;  the  people  here 
would  do  a  good  deal  for  Mynheer  Von  Bost  and  his 
wife,  but  they  won't  risk  everything." 

"  Would  they  risk  anything,  do  you  think  ? "  Ned 
asked.  "  Are  there  half  a  dozen  men  in  the  village,  do 
you  think  who  would  strike  a  blow  for  their  master,  if 
they  could  do  it  without  running  the  risk  you  speak 
of?" 

The  landlord  looked  at  him  sharply.  "  This  is  not 
the  time,  young  sir,  for  men  to  speak  before  strangers 
about  matters  which  may  put  their  neck  in  danger." 

"You  are  right,"  Ned  said  ;  "  and  I  do  not  blame  you 
for  being  discreet.  I  know  this  cross-eyed  man  you 
speak  of,  and  know  that  he  is  the  secretary  of  one  of 


206  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

the  most  cruel  and  bloody  of  the  Council  j  and  it  was 
but  yesterday  that  I  escaped  from  his  hands  almost  by 
a  miracle.  And  I  would  now,  if  I  could,  baffle  the  vil- 
lain again.     I  suppose  they  are  still  at  his  house  ?  " 

"  They  are.  They  have  ordered  breakfast  to  be  pre- 
pared for  them,  and  it  may  be  another  hour  before  they 
set  out." 

"  My  plan  is  this,  then,"  Ned  said.  "  If  I  could  get 
half  a  dozen  determined  men  to  join  me,  we  would  go 
back  along  the  road  toward  Antwerp  three  miles  or  so, 
and  lie  in  wait  until  they  came  along,  and  then  rescue 
their  prisoners  from  them.  If  we  could  get  a  horse  for 
the  man  to  ride  with  his  wife  behind  him,  all  the  better. 
We  could  pretend  to  be  robbers  ;  there  are  plenty  of 
starving  peasants  that  have  been  driven  to  that,  and  if 
we  attack  them  three  miles  away  they  would  have  no 
suspicion  that  the  people  of  the  village  had  any  hand 
in  it." 

"  I  will  see  about  it,"  the  landlord  said  warmly. 
"  When  my  son-in-law's  little  house  was  burnt  down 
last  winter.  Mynheer  Von  Bost  advanced  him  money  to 
rebuild  it,  and  charged  no  interest.  He  lives  but  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  out  of  the  village,  and  I  tliink  he  will 
be  your  man,  and  would  be  able  to  lay  his  hands  on  the 
others.  I  will  run  over  to  him  and  be  back  in  a  quarter 
of  an  hour." 

In  the  mean  time  Ned  ordered  his  hoi-se  to  be  saddled, 
and  when  the  landlord  returned  he  was  ready  to  start. 

"  My  son-in-law  will  join  you,"  he  said.  "  He  has 
two  brothers  whom  he  will  bring  with  him.  They  both 
work  in  Von  Bost's  factory.  He  bids  me  tell  you  to  go 
on  for  two  miles,  and  to  stop  where  the  first  road  comes 
in  on  tlie  right-hand  side.  They  will  join  you  there, 
and  will  then  go  on  with  you  as  far  as  you  may  think 


6Y  Pm^  AND  DYKR  ^0? 

fit.  They  have  got  guns,  so  you  can  lio  in  ambush. 
He  will  bring  a  horse  with  him  with  a  pillion.  He  could 
have  got  more  men,  but  he  thinks  the  fewer  to  know 
the  secret  the  better,  as  there  may  be  inquiries  here ; 
and  in  these  days  none  can  trust  his  own  neighbor. 
And  now  farewell,  young  sir.  I  know  not  who  you 
are,  but  you  must  have  a  good  heart  to  venture  your 
life  in  a  quarrel  for  people  of  whom  you  know  nothing." 

"I  am  a  Protestant  myself,  landlord,  and  I  have 
had  uncles  and  other  relations  murdered  by  the  Blood 
Council.  Moreover  I  have  a  special  feud  with  the  chief 
of  these  villains." 

So  saying  Ned  shook  the  landlord's  hand  and  rode 
off.  He  halted  when  he  came  to  the  point  indicated. 
In  less  than  half  an  hour  he  saw  three  men  coming 
from  the  other  direction.  As  one  of  them  was  leading 
a  horse  he  at  once  rode  on  to  meet  them. 

"  We  have  made  a  detour  through  the  fields,"  the 
young  man  leading  the  horse  said.  "It  would  not 
have  done  for  any  one  in  the  village  to  have  seen  us 
journeying  this  way." 

"  Quite  right,"  Ned  agreed.  "  There  are  babblers 
everywhere,  and  the  fewer  who  know  aught  of  a  matter 
like  this  the  better.  Now,  where  had  we  best  am- 
buscade ?  " 

"  There  is  a  little  wood  by  the  roadside  half  a  mile  on, 
and  we  had  best  move  there  at  once,  for  they  may  be 
along  at  any  time  now." 

Two  of  the  men  were  armed  with  muskets,  and  all 
three  carried  flails.  They  moved  briskly  forward  until 
they  got  to  the  woods. 

"  You  had  best  fasten  up  the  horse  among  the  trees," 
Ned  said,  "  and  then  take  your  station  close  to  the  road. 
I  will  ride  out  from  the  trees  as  I  come  up  and  engage 


20S  BY  PIKil  Al^i)  DYk2. 

them  ill  talk,  so  that  you  and  your  brother  can  take  a 
steady  aim.  Don't  fire  until  you  are  sure  of  each  bring- 
ing down  a  man,  then  rush  out  and  engage  them  with 
your  flails.     I  will  answer  for  their  leader  myself." 

"  We  won't  miss  them,  never  fear,  young  sir.  We 
have  too  much  practice  at  the  ducks  in  the  winter  to  miss 
such  a  mark  as  that." 

After  seeing  the  horse  tied  up,  and  the  men  take 
their  stations  beliind  trees,  Ned  went  a  few  yards  fur- 
ther and  then  waited  the  coming  of  the  party  with  the 
prisoner.  He  had  not  a  shadow  of  compunction  at  the 
fate  that  was  about  to  befall  these  officials.  They  had 
hauled  away  hundreds  to  the  gallows,  and  the  animos- 
ity that  prevailed  between  the  two  parties  was  so  in- 
tense that  neitlier  thought  of  sparing  the  other  if  they 
fell  into  their  hands.  As  for  Genet,  Ned  felt  that  his 
own  life  would  not  be  safe  as  long  as  this  man  lived. 
He  miglit,  for  aught  he  knew,  have  other  missions  of 
the  same  nature  as  that  he  had  just  fulfilled,  and  he  felt 
sure  that  whatever  disguise  he  might  adopt  this  man 
would  detect  him  did  they  meet,  and  in  that  case  not 
only  his  own  life  but  that  of  many  others  might  be 
sacrificed. 

In  about  ten  minutes  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs  was 
heard.  Ned  waited  till  they  came  within  a  few  paces, 
and  then  suddenly  rode  out  from  the  wood.  Genet, 
who  was  riding  ahead  of  the  others,  reined  in  his  horse 
suddenly. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  fellow  ? "  he  began  angrily, 
"  riding  out  thus  suddenly  upon  us  ?  "  Then  his  voice 
changed  as  he  recognized  Ned.  "  What,  is  it  you 
again  ?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  This  time  at  least  you  shall 
not  escape  me." 

He  drew  a  pistol  and  fired.     Ned  was  equally  quick, 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  209 

and  the  two  shots  rang  out  together.  Ned's  cap  flew 
from  his  head,  the  bullet  just  grazing  his  skin,  while 
Genet  fell  forward  on  his  saddle  and  rolled  to  the  ground, 
shot  through  the  heart.  Almost  at  the  same  instant 
two  guns  were  discharged  from  the  wood,  and  two  of 
the  officials  fell.  The  other  two,  behind  whom  the 
prisoners  were  strapped,  set  spurs  to  their  horses ;  but 
Ned  rode  in  front  of  them,  and  the  men  dashing  from 
the  trees  seized  the  reins. 

'*  Surrender  !  "  Ned  shouted,  "  or  you  are  dead  men." 

The  two  officers  shouted  lustily  that  they  surrendered, 
but  Ned  had  the  greatest  difficulty  from  preventing  their 
assailants  from  knocking  out  their  brains  with  their 
flails. 

"  There  is  no  plunder  to  be  obtained  from  them,  com- 
rades," he  said  loudly.  "  They  are  only  poor  knaves 
riding  behind  the  master.  Get  them  off  their  horses, 
and  strap  their  hands  with  their  own  belts,  and  toss 
them  in  among  the  trees ;  but  you  can  search  their 
pockets  before  you  do  so.  I  will  see  what  their  leader 
has  got  upon  him." 

As  soon  as  the  two  prisoners  were  dragged  away  Ned 
addressed  Mynheer  Von  Bost,  who  with  his  wife  was 
standing  almost  bewildered  by  the  sudden  event  that 
had  freed  them. 

"This  is  no  robbery,  mynheer,  but  a  rescue.  We 
have  a  horse  and  pillion  here  in  the  wood  in  readiness 
for  you,  and  I  should  advise  you  to  ride  at  once  with 
your  wife  for  Sluys  or  some  other  seaport,  and  thence 
take  ship  either  into  Holland  or  to  England.  Your 
lives  will  assuredly  be  forfeited  if  you  remain  here." 

"  But  who  are  you,  sir,  who  has  done  us  this  great 
service  ?  " 

"  I  am  serving  under  the  Prince  of  Orange,"  Ned  re- 
H 


210  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

plied ;  "  and  have  been  doing  business  for  him  at 
Brussels.  I  have  twice  narrowly  escaped  with  my  life 
from  the  hands  of  the  leader  of  that  party,  and  was  in 
the  village  when  they  arrived  and  seized  you.  Finding 
how  deep  was  the  regret  that  so  kind  a  master  should 
be  thus  led  away  to  execution,  I  determined  if  possible 
to  save  you,  and  with  the  aid  of  these  three  men,  two  of 
whom  are  workmen  of  yours,  and  the  other  a  farmer 
you  befriended  last  year  when  his  house  was  burnt  down, 
we  have  succeeded  in  doing  so." 

The  three  men  now  came  out  of  the  wood. 

"  My  brave  fellows,"  the  manufacturer  said,  "  I  and 
my  wife  owe  our  lives  to  you  and  to  this  gentleman." 

"  You  are  heartily  welcome,  sir,"  the  young  farmer 
said.  "  You  have  saved  me  from  ruin,  and  one  good 
turn  deserves  another.  I  and  my  brothers  were  only 
too  glad  to  join  when  we  heard  that  this  gentleman  was 
determined  to  try  to  release  you.  If  it  had  not  been 
for  him  it  would  never  have  entered  our  heads  till  it 
was  too  late." 

"  May  I  ask  your  name,  sir  ? "  Von  Bost  said  to 
Ned.  "  My  wife  and  I  would  like  tcTknow  to  whom  we 
owe  a  lifelong  debt  of  gratitude.  I  will  take  your 
advice  and  ride  at  once  for  Sluys.  I  have  many  friends 
there  who  will  conceal  us  and  get  us  on  board  a  ship. 
My  arrangements  have  long  been  made  for  departure, 
and  my  capital  transferred  to  England ;  but  I  thought 
I  should  have  had  sufficient  notice  of  danger  to  take 
flight.     Where  can  I  hear  of  you,  sir?" 

"  My  name  is  Edward  Martin.  My  father  is  an  Eng- 
lish captain,  who  lives  at  Rotherhithe,  close  by  London. 
At  present,  as  I  said,  I  am  in  the  service  of  the  Prince 
of  Orange ;  but  my  home  is  still  in  England.  And 
jiow,  sir,  I  think  you  had  best  h^  riding  at  once.    I 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  611 

presume  that  there  are  by-roads  by  which  you  can  avoid 
passing  through  any  towns  on  your  way  to  Sluys. 
It  is  better  not  to  delay  a  minute,  for  at  any  moment 
some  party  or  other  of  soldiers  may  come  along." 

The  men  had  by  this  time  brought  out  the  hoi-se. 
Von  Bost  mounted,  and  his  wife  was  assisted  on  to  the 
pillion  behind  him. 

"  Good-by,  good  friends,"  he  said.  "  God  grant  that 
no  harm  come  to  you  for  this  kind  deed." 

The  moment  he  had  ridden  off  Ned  and  his  compan- 
ions lifted  the  bodies  of  the  three  men  who  had  fallen 
and  carried  them  into  the  wood. 

"We  had  best  turn  their  pockets  inside  out,"  Ned 
said,  "  and  take  away  everything  of  value  upon 
them." 

"  This  fellow  has  a  well-lined  purse,"  the  young  far- 
mer said  as  he  examined  the  pocket  of  Genet ;  "  and 
here  are  a  bundle  of  papers  in  his  doublet." 

"  Give  me  the  papers,"  Ned  said,  "  they  may  be  use- 
ful to  me,  and  doubtless  they  contain  lists  of  other  vic- 
tims whom  I  may  be  able  to  send  warning  to  in  time 
for  them  to  escape." 

"  What  shall  we  do  about  the  horses  ?  " 

"  I  would  take  off  the  saddles,  bridles,  and  accouter- 
ments,  throw  them  into  a  ditch  together  with  the  men's 
arms  and  pile  a  few  bushes  over  them,  then  drive  the 
horses  across  the  fields  till  they  reach  some  grazing 
ground  near  the  river;  the  farmers  there  will  doubtless 
appropriate  them  in  time.  Now,  as  to  these  two  prison- 
ers, they  are  the  only  trouble." 

"  You  need  not  trouble  about  them,"  the  farmer  said, 
"  we  have  made  them  safe.  We  are  not  going  to  risk 
our  lives  and  those  of  our  wives  and  families,  as  we 
should  have  done  if  we  had  left  those  fellows  alive  to 


^12  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

identify  us.  There  is  sure  to  be  a  searcli  sooner  or 
later,  and  those  two  men  would  have  led  the  party  to 
every  house  within  miles  round,  and  would  have  been 
sure  to  recognize  one  or  other  of  us.  We  are  ready  to 
risk  our  lives  to  save  Mynheer  Von  Bost,  but  we  are 
not  willing  to  throw  them  away  needlessly." 

Ned  could  hardly  blame  the  men,  who  had  indeed 
stabbed  their  captives  the  instant  they  dragged  them 
among  the  trees,  for  doubtless  the  risk  they  would  have 
run  of  detection  would  have  been  great  had  they  per- 
mitted them  to  live.  They  had  now  only  to  regain 
their  village  without  observation,  and  to  keep  their  own 
secret,  to  be  free  from  all  risk  whatever.  Putting  Gen- 
et's papers  in  his  doublet  Ned  again  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  off. 

Two  hours  later  he  reached  St.  Nicholas.  He  could 
now  have  ridden  straight  on  to  Bergen-op-Zoom,  the 
port  at  which  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  find  a  boat,  but  he 
thought  that  Genet's  papers  might  contain  matters 
upon  which  it  might  be  necessary  for  him  to  act  at  once. 
He  had  now  no  fear  of  detection,  for  with  the  death  of 
Genet  all  search  for  himself  would  be  at  an  end.  Put- 
ting up  his  hoi-se  at  an  inn  he  ordered  a  meal  to  be  pre- 
pared at  once,  and  calling  for  a  flask  of  wine  in  the 
mean  time,  sat  down  at  a  table  in  the  corner  of  the  great 
parlor  and  examined  the  papers. 

First  there  was  a  list  of  twelve  names,  among  whom 
was  that  of  Von  Bost.  One  of  these,  as  well  as  that  of 
the  manufacturer,  had  been  crossed  out.  With  them 
were  official  documents  ordering  the  arrest  of  the  persons 
named,  together  in  most  cases  with  that  of  their  wives 
and  one  or  more  membei*s  of  their  family.  Besides  these 
was  a  document  with  the  seal  of  the  Council,  ordering 
all  magistrates  and  others  to  render  every  assistance  re- 


^r  PmH  AND  DYKS.         '  ^13 

quired  by  the  bearer  in  carrying  out  the  duties  with  which 
he  waa  charged. 

Then  there  was  a  long  list  of  persons  resident  in  St. 
Nicholas,  Sluys,  and  Axel,  against  whom  denunciations 
of  heresy  or  of  suspected  disloyalty  to  Philip  had  been 
laid.  There  was  a  note  at  the  bottom  of  this  list :  "  In- 
quire into  the  condition  of  life  and  probable  means  of 
each  of  these  suspected  persons." 

"  It  is  somewhat  lucky  for  all  these  people,"  Ned  said 
to  himself,  "  that  I  happened  to  fall  in  with  Mynheer 
Genet.  The  question  now  is  how  to  warn  them.  I  see 
there  are  three  orders  of  arrest  against  people  here,  and 
ten  names  on  the  suspected  list.  At  any  rate  I  can  warn 
them  myself." 

As  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  meal  Ned  inquired  the 
addresses  of  the  three  persons  ordered  to  be  arrested. 
They  were  all,  as  he  had  expected,  leading  men  in  the 
place ;  for  it  was  the  confiscation  of  the  goods  of  the 
victims,  quite  as  much  as  any  question  of  religion  or 
loyalty,  that  was  at  the  bottom  of  a  large  proportion  of 
the  arrests  and  executions.  The  first  Ned  called  upon 
was,  like  Von  Bost,  a  cloth  manufacturer.  He  was 
rather  a  pompous  man,  and  when  Ned  was  shown  in  said : 

"  Now,  young  man  my  time  is  valuable,  so  let  us  have 
no  useless  talking.     What  is  it  you  want  ?" 

"  Your  time  perhaps  is  more  valuable  than  you  think," 
Ned  said  quietly,  "  seeing  that  you  have  not  got  much 
of  it  left." 

"What  do  you  mean,  sir?"  the  manufacturer  asked 
angrily. 

"  I  mean  simply  this,"  Ned  replied.  "  That  I  am  the 
bearer  of  an  order  of  the  Council  for  your  arrest,  and 
that  of  your  wife,  your  son  Ernest,  and  your  daughter 
Mary,  upon  the  charge  of  having  been  present  and  taken 


214  ^T  PIKE  AND  BTKS. 

part  in  a  meeting  of  the  people  of  tliis  town  at  which 
words  of  a  treasonable  character  were  uttered.  More- 
over, there  is  a  note  at  the  bottom  of  this  order  saying 
that  these  charges  have  been  proved  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  Council,  and  that  you  are  accordingly  to  be  ex- 
ecuted upon  your  arrival  at  Antwerp,  the  necessary 
orders  having  been  transmitted  to  the  governor  of  the 
prison  there. " 

The  manufacturer  sank  down  in  a  chair  the  picture 
of  terror. 

"  I  have  done  no  harm, "  he  stammered.  "  I  knew 
not  when  I  went  to  the  meeting  what  was  going  to  be 
said  there." 

"  What  matters  that  ?  "  Ned  asked.  "  You  have  been 
tried  and  condemned,  and  one  or  other  of  the  Council 
has  doubtless  obtained  the  grant  of  your  property.  Well, 
sir,  I  will  not  frighten  you  longer.  This  is  the  document 
in  question,  but  fortunately  I  am  not  the  person  charged 
with  this  execution.  I  met  him  on  the  way  and  there 
was  a  disagreement  between  us,  and  the  result  is  that- 
he  will  execute  no  more  orders,  and  his  papers  fell  into 
my  hands.  It  may  be  some  days  before  he  is  missed, 
and  then  doubtless  some  one  else  will  be  charged  to 
carry  out  the  orders  of  which  he  was  the  bearer.  This 
will  give  you  time  to  make  preparations  for  flight,  and 
I  should  advise  you  before  eight-and-forty  hours  are 
over  to  be  on  your  way  toward  the  frontier  of  Germany, 
or  on  board  a  ship  at  one  of  the  ports.  I  will  hand  you 
this  document  in  order  that  you  may  convince  your 
wife  and  family  of  the  danger  that  you  are  all  running, 
and  of  the  urgent  need  of  haste." 

Ned  left  at  once,  before  the  man,  who  was  almost  stu- 
pefied by  the  misfortune  that  had  befallen  him,  had  time 
to  utter  his  thanks.     He  then  called  on  the  other  two 


B  Y  PIKE  AND  t> YKS.  215 

men  against  whom  he  bore  orders  of  arrest.  As  both 
received  him  with  greater  courtesy  than  that  shown  by 
the  first  he  had  visited,  he  broke  the  news  more  gently 
to  them,  and  discussed  with  them  the  manner  in  which 
they  had  best  make  their  escape.  One  he  found  had 
friends  and  business  connections  in  Sluys,  and  doubted 
not  that  he  could  obtain  a  passage  there  to  Holland  or 
England,  while  the  other  had  similar  connections  in 
Axel. 

Ned  handed  over  to  them  the  orders  for  the  arrest  of 
burghers  of  those  towns,  and  these  they  gave  him  their 
promise  to  deliver,  and  also  either  to  see  or  to  send 
letters  warning  all  the  perscms  who  were  mentioned  in 
the  list  of  suspected.  As  he  was  anxious  to  get  on  as 
soon  as  possible  he  also  gave  them  the  list  of  the  sus- 
pected at  St.  Nicholas,  and  these  they  promised  also  to 
warn ;  both  were  profuse  in  their  gratitude  to  him  for 
having  saved  them  from  certain  death.  Having  thus 
concluded  his  business,  Ned  again  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  for  Bergen-op-Zoom,  the  port  at  which  he  in- 
tended, if  possible,  to  embark  for  Zeeland. 

Bergen-op-Zoom,  an  important  town,  lay  half  a  mile 
distant  from  the  Scheldt,  and  was  connected  with  the 
river  by  a  channel  guarded  by  two  forts.  There  had 
been  a  strong  Spanish  garrison  here,  but  it  had  lately 
been  weakened  by  the  withdrawal  of  a  large  detachment 
to  take  part  in  the  successful  enterprise  undertaken  for 
the  relief  of  Tergoes  in  the  Island  of  Beveland,  which 
was  besieged  by  a  force  from  Flushing.  Ned  had  fre- 
quently been  at  Bergen-op-Zoom  in  the  Good  Venture, 
and  knew  that  while  the  magistrates  and  wealthier 
citizens  were  devoted  to  the  Spanish  cause  the  greater 
portion  of  the  inhabitants,  especially  the  seafaring  class, 
were  patriots  to  a  maOi 


216  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

He  therefore  went  to  a  small  inn  by  the  waterside, 
where  he  had  several  times  taken  meals  with  his  father 
when  the  ship  was  lying  off  from  the  river.  Seeing  his 
horse  put  up  in  the  stable  he  entered  the  tap-room. 
The  sailors  drinking  there  looked  somewhat  surprised  at 
the  entrance  of  one  differing  much  in  appearance  from 
the  ordinary  customers  of  the  place.  The  landlord,  who 
was  leaning  against  his  counter,  did  not  advance  to  meet 
him  ;  for  strangers  were  by  no  means  popular ;  and  a  sus- 
picion that  the  newcomer  was  a  si>y  would  speedily  empty 
his  house.  As  Ned  approached  him  he  suddenly  started, 
and  was  about  to  speak  when  the  lad  quickly  placed  his 
finger  on  his  lip.  He  feared  that  the  landlord  was  about 
to  utter  his  name,  and  there  might,  for  aught  he  knew, 
be  some  one  there  who  would  report  it. 

"  How  are  you,  landlord  ?  "  he  said.  "  It  is  some  time 
since  I  was  here  last,  and  I  think  you  had  almost  forgot- 
ten me."  The  landlord  took  the  hint. 

"  Yes  indeed,"  he  said.  "  And  how  is  your  father  ? 
I  have  not  seen  him  lately,  and  heard  that  he  was  not 
well." 

"  No ;  he  has  been  laid  up  for  some  time,  but  he  is 
mending.     You  see  I  have  taken  service." 

"  Ah,  I  see,"  the  landlord  said.  "  Well,  my  good  wife 
will  be  glad  to  see  you  and  hear  about  your  family." 
So  saying  he  led  the  way  into  a  private  room. 

"  Why,  what  means  this.  Master  Martin  ?  "  he  asked. 
"  We  heard  here  of  the  brave  fight  your  father's  ship 
made  some  two  months  since  with  a  Spaniard  in  the 
Zuider-Zee,  and  that  he  was  sorely  wounded.  But  what 
means  this  masquerading  ?  Surely  you  have  not  given 
up  the  sea  ?" 

"  Only  for  the  present,"  Ned  replied.  "  You  know 
I  am  Dutch  by  my  mother's  side.     All  her  family  have 


BY  PIKE  AND  DTKE.  217 

been  murdered  by  the  Spaniards,  and  what  with  that  and 
my  father  being  attacked  and  wounded,  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  give  up  the  sea  for  a  time,  and  to  help  the  good 
cause  as  much  as  I  could.  I  have  been  carrying  a  mes- 
sage to  Brussels  and  want  now  to  get  back  to  Rotterdam 
or  some  other  seaport  town.     How  had  I  best  do  it?" 

"  It  is  not  easy,"  the  landlord  replied.  "  Our  trade  is 
stopped  here  now.  The  rivers  swarm  with  craft,  manned, 
sorne  by  the  beggars  of  the  sea,  and  others  by  fisher- 
men ;  and  the  Spanish  ships  cannot  come  up  save  in 
great  force.  We  have  two  or  three  of  their  war-ships 
here  which  go  out  and  skirmish  with  our  men,  and  do 
not  always  get  the  best  of  it.  Our  people  did  badly  the 
other  night  when  they  let  the  Spaniards  wade  across  to 
Tergoes.  That  was  a  bad  business.  But  about  your 
getting  away.    Let  me  see  how  it  can  be  managed." 

"  I  have  got  a  horse  here." 

"  That  is  bad,"  the  landlord  said.  "  You  could  put 
on  sailor's  clothes,  and  in  the  morning  when  I  send  in 
my  guest  list  to  the  magistrate,  I  could  put  down  that 
you  had  gone,  but  the  horse  would  betray  me.  Is  it  a 
good  beast  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  very  good  horse.  It  was  a  present  to  me, 
and  I  don't  like  parting  with  it.  But  of  course  I  cannot 
take  it  away." 

"  I  will  send  round  word  to  a  man  I  know  who  deals 
in  horses.  He  is  one  who  will  hold  his  tongue,  espe- 
cially when  he  sees  an  advantage  in  it.  I  will  tell  him 
it  belonged  to  a  man  who  has  been  here  and  gone  away 
suddenly,  and  ask  him  what  he  will  give  for  it,  and  take 
it  quietly  away  after  it  gets  dark  to  his  own  stables,  and 
ask  no  questions  about  it.  He  will  guess  it  belonged  to 
somebody  who  has  left  secretly.  Of  course  he  won't 
give  more  than  half  th^  value  of  th^  j^nimg-li  but  J 


218  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

suppose  you  will  not  be  particular  about  terms.  Any* 
how,  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  for  you.  When  he  is  once 
out  of  the  stables  they  may  come  and  question  as  much 
as  they  like,  but  they  will  get  nothing  out  of  me  beyond 
the  fact  that  a  young  man  came  here,  put  up  his  horse, 
stayed  the  night,  and  left  in  the  morning.  I  suppose 
they  have  no  special  interest  in  you  so  as  to  lead  them 
to  make  a  close  inquiry  ?  " 

"  None  at  all,"  Ned  replied. 

"  That  is  settled  then,"  the  landlord  said.  •'  Now, 
as  to  yourself.  Two  of  my  sons  are  at  sea,  you  know,  and 
I  can  rig  you  up  with  some  of  their  clothes  so  that  you  can 
stroll  about  on  the  wharves,  and  no  one  will  suspect  you 
of  being  anything  but  a  fisherman.  Then  I  will  try  and 
arrange  with  some  of  the  sailors  to  take  you  down  in  a 
boat  at  night,  and  either  put  you  on  board  the  first  of  our 
craft  they  come  upon  ;  or  land  you  at  Flushing.  Now  I 
will  take  you  in  to  my  wife,  and  she  will  see  about 
getting  you  a  meal  and  making  you  comfortable." 

Later  on  the  landlord  came  in  and  said  that  he  had 
made  a  bargain  for  the  horse. 

"  The  beast  is  worth  thirty  crowns,"  he  said,  "  but  he 
will  not  give  more  than  fifteen,  and  it  required  a  good 
deal  of  bargaining  to  raise  him  to  that.  Of  course  he 
suspected  that  there  was  something  out  of  the  way  about 
the  affair,  and  took  advantage  of  it." 

"  That  will  do  very  well  indeed,"  Ned  said.  "  I  did 
not  expect  to  get  anything  for  it." 

"  I  have  been  having  a  talk  too  with  some  sailors  be- 
longing to  a  small  craft  lying  at  the  wharf.  They  are 
most  anxious  to  be  off,  for  they  are  idle.  The  order 
that  no  boats  were  to  leave  was  issued  just  after  they 
came  in.  They  have  been  six  days  doing  nothing,  and 
may,  for  aught  they  see,  be  kept  here  for  another  six 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  219 

months.  They  have  been  afraid  to  try  to  get  away ; 
for  there  are  sentries  all  along  the  wall  to  see  that  none 
try  to  put  out,  and  some  guard-boats  from  the  Spanish 
ships  rowing  backward  and  forward  outside  tlie  poit, 
both  to  see  that  no  ships  leave,  and  that  none  come  up  to 
harm  the  shipping.  Still  they  say  they  have  been  making 
up  their  minds  that  they  may  as  well  stand  the  risk  of 
being  shot  by  the  Spaniards  as  the  certainty  of  being 
starved  here ;  besides  they  are  patriots,  and  know  that 
their  boats  may  be  wanted  at  any  time  for  the  convey- 
ance of  troops.  So  when  I  told  them  that  I  doubted  not 
that  you  would  pay  them  well  for  landing  you  at 
Flushing,  they  agreed  to  make  the  attempt,  and  will  try 
to-night.  As  soon  as  you  have  had  your  breakfast 
you  had  better  join  them  in  the  tap-room,  go  out  with 
them  through  the  water-gate,  and  get  on  board  their 
craft  and  lie  snug  there  till  night." 

"  How  many  men  are  there  ?  "  Ned  asked. 

"  There  are  six  altogether,  but  only  two  will  be  up  here 
presently.  Here  are  the  fifteen  crowns  for  your  horse. 
That  will  do  well  to  pay  your  passage  to  Flushing," 

As  soon  as  he  had  eaten  his  breakfast,  Ned,  now 
dressed  as  a  young  fisherman,  went  into  the  tap-room 
with  the  landlord.     Two  sailors  were  sitting  there. 

"  This  is  the  young  fellow  that  I  was  speaking  to  you 
about,"  the  landlord  said.  "  He  is  one  of  us,  and  heart 
and  soul  in  the  cause,  and  young  though  he  looks  has 
done  good  service.  He  is  ready  to  pay  you  fifteen 
crowns  when  you  land  him  at  Flushing," 

"  That  is  a  bargain,"  one  of  the  men  said, "  and  will 
pay  us  for  the  week  we  have  lost  here.  I  should  take 
you  for  a  sailor,  young  sir." 

"  I  am  a  sailor,  "  Ned  said,  "and  can  lend  a  hand  on 
board  if  need  be." 


220  BY  PIKE  AND  BTKlS!. 

"  Can  you  swim  ?  Because  if  we  are  overhauled  by 
the  Spaniards  we  shall  all  take  to  the  water  rather  than 
fall  into  their  hands." 

"  Yes,  I  can  swim,"  Ned  said  ;  "  and  agree  with  you 
that  I  would  rather  swim  than  be  captured.  But  if  it 
is  only  a  boat-load  that  overhauls  us  I  would  try  to 
beat  them  off  before  giving  up  a  craft  in  which  I  had  a 
share." 

The  sailors  looked  rather  doubtfully  at  the  lad,  and 
their  expression  showed  that  they  thought  he  was  talk- 
ing boastfully. 

"He  means  what  he  says,"  the  landlord  put  in.  "  He 
is  the  son  of  the  English  captain  who  beat  off  the 
great  Spanish  ship  Don  Pedro  in  the  Zuider  Zee  a  few 
weeks  ago." 

The  men's  faces  changed,  and  both  got  up  and  shook 
hands  cordially  with  Ned.  "  That  was  a  brave  affair, 
young  sir ;  and  there  is  not  a  town  in  Holland  where 
your  father's  name  is  not  spoken  of  in  honor.  We 
know  the  ship  well,  and  have  helped  load  her  before 
now  ;  and  now  we  know  who  you  are,  recognize  your 
face.  No  wonder  you  want  to  get  out  of  Bergen-op- 
Zoom.  Why,  if  I  had  known  it  had  been  you  we  would 
have  been  glad  enough  to  take  you  to  Flushing  without 
charging  you  a  penny,  and  will  do  so  now — will  we 
not,  comrade  ?  if  it  presses  you  in  any  way  to  pay  us  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  Ned  said.  "  I  am  well  supplied  with 
money  ;  and  since  you  are  risking  your  boat,  as  well  as 
your  lives,  it  is  only  fair  that  I  should  pay  my  share.  I 
can  afford  the  fifteen  crowns  well  enough,  and  indeed  it 
is  but  the  price  of  a  horse  that  was  given  to  me." 

"  Well,  if  it  will  not  hurt  you  we  will  not  say  any 
more  about  it,"  the  sailor  replied ;  "  seeing  that  we 
■^ave  had  a  bad  time  of  it  lately,  and  have  scarce  money 


nr  Plk^  AND  DYKE.  ^21 

enough  left  between  us  to  victual  us  until  we  get  home. 
But  had  it  been  otherwise,  we  would  have  starved  for 
a  week  rather  than  had  it  said  that  we  made  hard  terms 
with  the  son  of  the  brave  Captain  Martin  when  he  was 
trying  to  escape  from  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards." 

"  Now,  lads,  you  had  better  be  off  at  once,"  the  land- 
lord interrupted.  "  It  is  time  I  sent  in  my  report  to 
the  town-hall ;  and  like  enough  men  will  be  down  here 
asking  questions  soon  after,  so  it  were  best  that  Master 
Martin  were  on  board  your  craft  at  once.  Good-bye, 
young  sir.  Tell  your  worthy  father  that  I  am  glad  in- 
deed to  have  been  able  to  be  of  some  slight  service  to 
his  son,  and  I  trust  that  it  will  not  be  very  long  before 
we  see  the  last  of  the  Spaniards,  and  that  we  shall  then 
have  his  ship  alongside  the  wharves  again." 

Ned  shook  hands  heartily  with  the  landlord,  who  had 
refused  to  accept  any  payment  whatever  from  him,  and 
then  started  with  the  two  sailora.  They  made  their  way 
down  to  the  inner  haven,  and  then  went  on  board  the 
boat,  a  craft  of  about  ten  tons  burden,  which  was  lying 
alongside.  The  wharves  had  a  strange  and  deserted  ap- 
pearance. When  Ned  had  last  been  there  some  fifty  or 
sixty  vessels  of  different  sizes  had  been  lying  alongside 
discharging  or  taking  in  cargo,  while  many  others  lay 
more  out  in  the  stream.  Now  there  were  only  a  dozen 
boats  of  about  the  same  size  as  that  on  which  they  em- 
barked, all,  like  it,  arrested  by  the  sudden  order  that  no 
vessels  should  leave  the  port. 

There  were  no  large  merchantmen  among  them,  for 
trade  had  altogether  ceased,  save  when  a  strong  convoy 
of  French,  Spanish,  or  German  ships  arrived.  For  with 
Flushing  in  the  hands  of  the  patriots,  and  the  sea  swarm- 
ing with  the  craft  of  the  beggars,  foreign  vessels  bound 
for  ports  in  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards  did  not  dare  singly 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

to  approach  the  mouth  of  the  Scheldt.  Ned  received  a 
hearty  welcome  from  the  other  sailors  when  they  learned 
from  their  skipper  and  his  companion  who  he  was,  and 
before  he  had  been  ten  minutes  on  board  they  asked  him 
to  give  them  the  full  details  of  the  fight  off  Enkhuizen, 
and  how  it  was  that  the  Spaniards  thus  interfered  with 
an  English  ship. 

Ned  told  them  the  story,  and  the  sailors  when  he  had 
finished  liad  each  some  tale  to  tell  of  oppression  and 
cruelty  to  friends  or  relatives  on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards. 
When  they  had  finished  their  midday  meal,  which  was 
the  heartiest  the  sailors  had  enjoyed  for  some  days,  for 
the  landlord  when  making  the  bargain  had  paid  them 
five  crowns  in  advance,  and  the  empty  larder  had  been 
accordingly  replenished,  the  skipper  said  to  Ned,  "  I 
think  that  it  will  be  just  as  well  you  did  something,  in 
case  the  magistrates  should  take  it  into  their  heads  to 
send  down  to  search  the  craft  along  the  wharves.  The 
landlord  said  that  they  might  make  inquiries  as  to  what 
had  become  of  the  man  who  stayed  last  night  at  his  inn. 
You  may  be  sure  he  did  not  put  down  in  his  guest  list  a 
description  which  would  help  them  much  in  their  search 
for  you,  should  they  make  one,  still  they  keep  a  pretty 
sharp  lookout  over  us,  and  if  they  search  at  all  are  likely 
to  come  to  try  here  to  begin  with.*' 

"  I  am  quite  ready  to  do  anything  you  may  set  me  to." 
Ned  said. 

"  Then  we  will  get  the  boat  out,  and  row  off  and  bait 
our  hooks  and  try  for  fish  ;  we  have  caught  a  few  every 
day  since  we  have  been  here.  And,  indeed,  if  it  were 
not  for  the  fish  the  men  in  most  of  the  boats  here  would 
be  starving." 

"  That  will  do  capitally,"  Ned  said.  "  Anyhow  it  will 
be  an  amusement  to  me." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  223 

The  boat  was  pulled  up  alongside,  Ned  and  four  of 
the  men  got  into  it  and  rowed  down  the  port  into  the 
Old  Haven,  and  out  between  the  two  forts  guarding  the 
entrance  into  the  Scheldt,  then  dropping  their  grapnel, 
baited  some  lines  and  began  to  fish.  As  boats  from  all 
the  other  craft  Ipng  by  the  shore  were  engaged  in  the 
same  work,  either  with  line  or  net,  this  w£is  natural 
enough,  and  they  did  not  return  until  evening  was  falling 
by  which  time  they  had  captured  a  considerable  number 
of  fish. 

"  We  have  had  more  luck  than  we  have  had  all  the 
week,"  one  of  the  men  said  as  they  rowed  back.  "  Some- 
times we  have  only  got  just  enough  for  ourselves,  to  day 
when  we  don't  want  them  we  have  caught  enough  to  sell 
for  two  or  three  guilders ;  for  fish  are  scarce  now  in 
the  town  and  fetch  good  prices.  However,  they  will 
come  in  handy  for  our  voyage." 

When  they  came  alongside  the  skipper  told  them  that 
three  hours  before  two  of  the  city  constables  had  come 
along,  and  had  inquired  of  him  whether  he  had  seen 
aught  of  a  tall  man  of  some  thirty  years  of  age,  dressed 
in  sober  clothes,  and  with  the  appearance  of  a  retainer 
in  some  good  family.  He  had  assured  them  he  had 
seen  none  at  all  answering  that  description,  and,  indeed, 
that  no  one  beside  himself  and  his  crew  had  been  on  the 
wharf  that  day.  They  had  nevertheless  come  on  board 
and  searched  the  cabin,  but  finding  nothing  suspicious, 
and  hearing  that  the  rest  of  the  crew,  four  men  and  a 
boy,  were  engaged  in  fishing,  they  had  gone  off  without 
further  question. 

"  Where  do  the  guard-boats  ply?  "  Ned  asked  pres- 
ently. 

"  A  mile  or  two  above  the  forts,  and  as  much  below ; 
for,  you  see,  vessels  can  come  up  either  passage  from  th^ 


224  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

sea.  It  is  the  longest  round  by  Walcheren,  but  far  easier 
and  freer  from  sand-banks.  Vessels  from  the  west  gener- 
ally take  the  Walcheren  passage ;  but  those  from  the 
east,  and  coasters  who  know  every  foot  of  the  river^ 
come  by  the  eastern  Scheldt."  ^ 

"  Which  way  do  you  think  of  going  ?  " 

"  That  by  Flushing,  if  we  have  the  choice.  We  pass 
several  towns  in  the  possession  of  the  Spaniards,  and 
were  the  beggars  to  come  up  they  would  probably  take 
the  other  channel.  And  I  have  noticed  that  there  are 
always  two  row-boats  in  the  river  to  the  east,  and  only 
one  to  the  west.  Our  greatest  difficulty  will  be  in  pass- 
ing the  two  war-ships  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  port, 
under  the  guns  of  the  forts.  Once  fairly  out  into  the 
Scheldt  we  may  think  ourselves  safe,  for  the  river  is  so 
wide  that  unless  by  grievous  ill-chance  we  are  not  likely 
to  be  seen  on  a  dark  night,  such  as  this  will  be,  by  the 
row-boats.  Our  real  danger  is  in  getting  through  the 
two  forts,  and  the  ships  at  the  mouth  of  this  port. 

"  There  is  a  vigilant  watch  kept  at  the  forts ;  but 
there  are  not  likely  to  be  any  sentries  placed  on  the 
walls  at  the  entrance  of  this  inner  haven,  or  on  thati"un- 
ning  along  by  Old  Haven  ^own  to  the  forts.  We  will 
start  as  soon  as  the  tide  turns,  and  drift  down  with  it. 
We  will  get  out  a  pole  or  two  to  keep  our  course  down 
the  center  till  we  get  near  the  forts,  and  must  then  let 
lier  drift  as  she  will,  for  a  splash  in  the  water  or  the 
slightest  sound  would  call  the  attention  of  the  sentries 
there,  and  if  the  alarm  were  given  the  boats  of  the  two 
sliips  outside  would  have  us  to  a  certainty.  I  think  the 
night  is  going  to  be  most  favorable.  The  clouds  are  low 
and  I  have  felt  a  speck  or  two  of  mist ;  it  will  come  on 
faster  present^,  and  it  will  want  keen  eyes  to  see  five 
yards  away  wh^n  the  night  falls.    Luckily  there  is  apt 


J&r  PIKE  ANi)  DTK  A  225 

a  breath  of  wind  at  present ;  and  I  hope  there  will  not 
be  until  we  are  fairly  out,  otherwise  we  should  be  sure 
to  drift  ashore  on  one  side  or  the  other  as  we  go  down 
the  channel." 
IS 


226  £Y  PIEE  AND  liYKlt 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

BACK  WITH  THE  PKINCB. 

Before  throwing  off  the  warps  from  the  shore  the 
captain  gave  each  man  his  orders.  Two  were  to  stand 
with  fenders,  in  case  the  boat  drifted  against  another 
craft  or  against  the  wall.  Two  were  to  take  the  long 
poles  used  for  punting.  An  old  sail  had  been  torn  up 
into  strips  and  wrapped  round  these,  with  a  pad  of  old 
rope  at  the  end,  so  that  they  could  push  off  from  the 
wall  without  noise.  Not  a  word  was  to  be  spoken  in 
case  of  their  being  hailed,  nor  was  there  to  be  the  slight- 
est movement  on  board  unless  the  use  of  the  fenders  or 
poles  were  required.     Lastly,  all  took  off  their  boots. 

It  was  half  an  hour  after  the  turn  of  the  tide  when 
the  warps  were  thrown  off.  The  tide  in  the  inner  port 
was  so  sluggish  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  pole 
the  boat  along  until  she  got  out  into  what  was  known 
as  the  Old  Haven,  which  was  the  cut  leading  down  from 
the  town  to  the  river. 

The  work  was  noiselessly  done  ;  and  Ned,  standing 
at  the  bow  beside  the  skipper,  scarce  heard  the  slight- 
est sound.  The  night  was  fortunately  very  dark,  and 
looking  intently  he  could  hardly  make  out  the  outline 
of  the  shore  on  either  side.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
they  emerged  from  the  inner  port.  On  their  left  hand 
the  wall  of  the  fortifications  connecting  the  town  with 
the  north  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  haven  rose  high  above 
them,  but  its  outline  could  be  seen  against  the  sky.  The 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  227 

captain  had  told  the  men  poling  to  take  her  sharp  round 
the  corner,  and  keep  her  along  as  close  as  possible  to 
the  foot  of  the  wall,  as  she  was  far  less  likely  to  be 
observed  by  any  sentry  who  might  be  there  than  she 
would  be  if  kept  out  in  the  center  of  the  cut. 

Very  slowly  the  boat  drifted  along  her  course,  assist- 
ed occasionally  by  the  men  pushing  with  their  poles 
against  the  foot  of  the  wall  that  rose  a  few  feet  from 
them,  while  those  with  the  fender  stood  in  readiness  to 
place  them  in  position  should  the  ship  approach  so  close 
to  the  wall  as  to  render  contact  probable.  The  captain 
was  now  at  the  tiller,  the  way  given  her  by  the  poles 
being  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  keep  her  on  her  course 
close  to  the  wall.  Another  quarter  of  an  hour  and  they 
were  at  the  end  of  the  wall,  for  the  forts  at  the  entrance 
were  detached.  They  were  now  approaching  the  most 
dangerous  portion  of  the  passage ;  they  were  no  longer 
sheltered  in  the  shadow,  but  must  go  along  openly.  It 
was,  however,  improbable  that  there  would  be  sentries 
on  the  face  of  the  fort  looking  toward  the  town,  and 
Ned,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  keep  watch  on  deck  at 
night,  could  scarce  make  out  the  low  shore  a  few  yards 
away,  and  felt  pretty  confident  that  the  eyes  of  the 
sleepy  sentries  would  not  be  able  to  pierce  the  gloom. 

The  men  had  ceased  poling  now,  only  giving  an  occa- 
sional push  to  keep  her  head  straight  and  prevent  her 
from  swinging  round.  Presently  a  sailor  standing  next 
to  Ned  touched  his  arm  and  pointed  to  the  right,  and 
straining  his  eyes  he  could  dimly  make  out  a  dark  mass 
looming  in  that  direction. 

Unlike  the  wall  they  had  left,  the  forts  stood  at  a 
little  distance  back  from  the  water,  and  Ned  was  sure 
that  as  he  could  scarce  make  out  the  outline  of  the  one 
nearest  to  them,  no  one  upon  its  wall  could  distinguish 


228  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

the  tracery  of  the  masts  and  rigging  of  the  boat.  The 
mist  had  thickened  since  they  had  started,  and  coming 
on  heavier  just  at  this  point  the  fort  was  presently  en- 
tirely obscured. 

Another  twenty  minutes  passed.  They  must  be  now, 
Ned  knew,  in  the  course  of  the  river  ;  and  he  began  to 
think  that  the  danger  was  all  over,  when  a  dark  object 
suddenly  appeared  from  the  mist,  close  at  hand.  In  an- 
other moment  there  was  a  shock,  and  then  a  long  grind- 
ing motion  as  the  boat  swept  along  by  the  side  of  a  large 
ship.  Following  the  shock  came  a  sharp  challenge  from 
the  darkness  above,  followed  by  other  shouts.  Obedient 
to  the  orders  they  had  received,  no  sound  was  heard 
from  the  smack.  Each  man  stooped  low  under  the  bul- 
warks. Two  or  three  shots  rang  out  from  the  ship,  and 
there  was  a  hail  in  Dutch — "  Stop,  or  we  will  sink  you." 

Ned  knew  that  this  was  an  idle  threat.  The  vessel 
was  lying  head  to  the  tide  and  only  a  small  gun  or  two 
in  the  stern  could  be  brought  to  bear,  and  already  the 
ship  was  lost  to  sight  in  the  mist.  There  was  much 
shouting  and  noise  heard  astern,  and  then  the  creaking 
of  blocks.     Ned  made  his  way  aft. 

"  The  game  is  up,"  the  skipper  said.  "  They  will  bo 
alongside  in  a  few  minutes.  Dark  as  it  is  they  cannot 
miss  us.  They  will  know  that  we  must  have  drifted 
straight  down.  We  must  take  to  the  boats  and  row  for 
it." 

"  I  should  say,  captain,"  Ned  said,  "  we  had  best  take 
to  the  boat  and  row  off  for  a  short  distance,  and  then 
wait.  As  likely  as  not  they  may  think  when  they  board 
her  that  she  has  simply  drifted  out  from  the  town,  hav- 
ing been  carelessly  moored.  In  that  case  they  may  let 
drop  her  anchor  and  return  to  their  ship." 

"That  is  a  happy  thought,"  the  captain  said;   and 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  229 

running  forward  he  told  the  crew  to  take  the  boat  at 
once. 

"  I  have  another  idea,  captain,"  Ned  said,  just  as  they 
were  about  to  push  off.  "  As  we  saw  when  we  were 
passing  the  ship  we  are  drifting  stern  foremost.  If  we 
can  fasten  a  long  line  to  her  stern  we  can  hang  on  to  it. 
They  will  not  be  able  to  see  us  if  we  are  twenty  fathoms 
astern.  Then,  if  they  anchor,  and,  as  is  likely  enough, 
leave  two  or  three  men  on  board,  we  can  haul  ourselves 
noiselessly  up  with  the  rope  and  board  her." 

"  Capital !  "  the  captain  replied.  "  I  was  wondering 
how  we  should  find  her  again  in  the  dark.  That  would 
be  the  very  thing." 

He  sprang  on  board  again,  fastened  a  light  line  to  the 
rudder,  and  dropped  down  into  the  boat  again. 

"  Now,  back  her  astern,  lads,  very  gently.  I  can  hear 
their  oars." 

In  a  minute  the  captain  gave  orders  to  cease  rowing, 
for  the  line  had  tightened.  The  Spanish  ship  was  show- 
ing a  bright  light  in  her  stern.  This  acted  as  a  guide 
to  the  boats,  and  in  two  or  three  minutes  after  the  crew 
had  left  the  smack  two  large  boats  full  of  soldiers  came 
alongside.  Those  in  the  little  boat  lying  but  fifty  or 
sixty  yards  away,  could  hear  every  word  that  was  spo- 
ken. First  came  a  volley  of  angry  exclamations  of 
disappointment  as  the  Spaniards  found  that  they  had 
been  called  from  their  beds  only  to  capture  an  empty 
little  coaster.  As  Ned  had  expected,  they  speedily  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  having  been  carelessly  fastened 
up  alongside  the  wharves,  without  any  one  being  left  in 
charge,  she  had  drifted  out  with  the  tide. 

"It  would  serve  them-  right  if  we  were  to  set  her 
alight,"  one  of  the  officers  said. 

"  We  had  best  not  to  do  that, "  another  replied.     "  It 


230  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

might  cause  an  alarm  in  the  town  ;  and,  besides,  boats 
are  wanted.  We  had  better  drop  her  anchor,  and  leave 
four  men  on  board  to  take  care  of  her.  In  the  morning 
the  knaves  to  whom  she  belongs  will  come  out  to  claim 
her;  and  I  warrant  you  the  captain  will  punish  them 
sharply  for  the  trouble  they  have  given  us." 

This  opinion  prevailed.  A  minute  latter  a  splash 
was  heard  in  the  water,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the 
line  connecting  the  boat  with  the  smack  tightened,  and 
those  on  board  knew  that  she  had  been  brought  up  by 
her  anchor.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  noise  and  tramp- 
ling of  feet  as  the  Spaniards  took  their  place  in  the  boats 
again,  and  then  the  heavy  splashing  of  many  oars  as 
they  started  to  row  back  against  the  tide  to  their  own 
vessel. 

The  captain  wrung  Ned's  hand. 

"  You  have  saved  the  boat  for  us,  young  sir,  for  we 
should  never  have  found  her  again  ;  and  if  we  had,  those 
on  board  would  have  heard  us  rowing  up  to  them,  and 
would  have  given  the  alarm.  Now  we  have  only  to 
wait  for  a  bit,  and  then  haul  oureelves  up  and  over- 
power the  Spaniards." 

"  I  doubt  if  we  could  do  that  without  noise,"  Ned  re- 
plied. "  At  any  rate  it  would  be  very  dangerous  while 
their  ship  is  lying  so  close.  I  should  say  the  best  plan 
will  be  to  wait,  as  you  say,  till  the  Spaniards  have 
settled  themselves  comfortably,  then  to  haul  up  to  her 
and  push  the  boat  along  by  her  side,  fending  her  off 
carefully  so  as  to  make  no  noise  until  we  reach  the  bow, 
then  we  can  cut  the  cable  and  let  her  drift.  The  tide 
is  running  strong  now,  and  in  half  an  hour  she  will  be 
over  a  mile  down  the  river,  and  there  will  be  no  fear  of 
a  shout  being  heard  on  board  the  ship,  and  we  can  then 
board  her  and  tackle  the  Spaniards." 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  231 

"  That  will  certainly  be  the  best  way,"  the  captain 
agreed.  "  Nothing  could  be  better.  Well,  we  will 
give  them  half  an  hour  to  settle  themselves  in  the  cabin. 
They  will  not  stay  on  deck  many  minutes  in  the  wet." 

The  sound  of  voices  on  board  the  smack  soon  ceased. 
After  waiting  half  an  hour  to  give  the  Spaniards  time 
if  not  to  go  to  sleep  to  become  drowsy,  the  captain  and 
one  of  his  men  began  to  pull  upon  the  line.  Presently 
the  dark  mass  could  be  seen  ahead,  and  they  were 
soon  up  to  her. 

Very  carefully  they  passed  the  boat  alongside,  taking 
pains  to  prevent  her  touching.  When  they  reached  the 
bow  the  captain  grasped  the  cable,  and  with  two  or 
three  cuts  with  his  knife  severed  it.  Then  the  boat 
was  pushed  off  from  the  ship  and  gently  paddled  away 
to  the  full  length  of  the  line.  Another  half  hour  and 
they  again  drew  alongside,  and  noiselessly  climbed  on 
to  the  deck.  The  men  armed  themselves  with  belaying- 
pins,  and  Ned  took  his  pistols  from  the  belt  beneath  his 
jacket.  Then  they  quietly  approached  the  door.  There 
was  a  light  burning  within. 

The  cabin  was  astern,  and  built  upon  the  deck,  and 
was  used  by  the  skipper  himself  and  by  any  passengei"s 
he  might  be  carrying,  the  crew  living  in  the  forecastle. 
The  doors,  which  opened  outward,  were  noiselessly  closed 
for  two  of  the  Spaniards  were  sitting  up  playing  cards, 
and  there  was  no  chance  of  taking  the  party  so  much 
by  surprise  as  to  capture  them  without  noise.  The  in- 
stant the  doors  were  closed  a  heavy  coil  of  rope  was 
thrown  against  them.  There  was  a  loud  exclamation 
in  the  cabin,  and  a  moment  later  a  rush  to  the  door. 
This,  however,  did  not  yield.  Then  a  window  in  the 
side  was  thrown  open  and  a  head  was  thrust  out,  and 
there  was  a  loud  shout  of  "  Treachery  1     Help  I  " 


^ti  ^t  PIKE  AND  DtKE. 

A  moment  latter  a  heavy  belaying-pin  fell  on  thd 
head,  and  it  disappeared.  Then  there  was  a  loud  ex- 
plosion as  an  arquebus  was  fired,  the  bullet  crashing 
through  the  door. 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  we  are  well  on  our  way,"  the 
skipper  said.  "  We  must  be  two  miles  from  the  Span- 
ish ship  now ;  and  even  if  they  hear  the  report  they 
will  not  think  it  has  anything  to  do  with  us.  Besides, 
if  they  did,  they  could  never  find  us." 

Some  more  ropes  had  now  been  piled  against  the  door, 
and  there  was  no  fear  of  its  being  burst  open.  Two 
men  were  posted  at  the  windows  on  each  side  of  the 
cabin  with  swords,  for  weapons  had  now  been  fetched 
from  the  forecastle. 

"  Now,"  the  captain  said,  "  let  us  get  up  the  sails. 
There  is  but  little  wind,  but  I  think  there  is  enough  to 
give  us  steerage-way  and  prevent  us  from  drifting  on  to 
the  sand-banks." 

"  I  suppose  we  are  well  beyond  the  guard-boats  now, 
captain  ?  "  Ned  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  they  are  not  more  than  half  a  mile  below 
the  forts.  Besides,  I  should  think  they  have  iiot  been 
out;  for  they  would  know  that  when  the  tide  once 
turned  no  craft  could  come  up  from  below.  Yes,  we 
are  quite  safe  as  far  as  they  are  concerned." 

Sail  was  soon  made ;  and  though  there  was  scarce 
wind  enough  to  belly  out  the  canvas,  the  boat  began  to 
move  slowly  through  the  water,  as  was  shown  by  her 
answering  her  helm.  The  discharge  of  the  arquebus  in 
the  cabin  was  continued  from  time  to  time. 

"  You  may  as  well  cease  that  noise,"  the  captain 
shouted  to  them.  "  Your  ship  is  miles  away ;  and 
unless  you  want  your  throats  cut  you  had  better  keep 


5r  PIKE  AND  Di^K^,  233 

yourself  quiet.  You  know  the  beggars  are  not  to  be 
trifled  with." 

The  soldiers  ceased  firing.  They  had,  indeed,  already 
concluded,  from  the  fact  that  the  boats  did  not  come  to 
their  rescue,  that  the  vessel  must  somehow  have  got  far 
from  their  ship.  The  name  of  the  terrible  beggars  filled 
them  with  alarm,  for  they  knew  that  they  showed  no 
mercy.  They  had  not  the  least  idea  as  to  the  number 
of  their  captors,  and  gave  themselves  up  for  lost.  An 
hour  later  the  captain  dropped  the  second  anchor,  and 
brought  up  in  the  stream. 

"We  must  wait  till  morning,"  he  said.  "It  is  no 
use  getting  away  from  the  Spaniards  to  be  cast  ashore  ; 
and  there  is  no  saying  in  what  part  of  the  river  we  may 
be  at  present,  though  we  must  certainly  be  six  or  seven 
miles  below  Bergen." 

Toward  morning  the  mist  cleared  off,  and  the  wind 
began  to  freshen. 

"  I  think  it  will  blow  hard  before  long,"  the  captain 
said  ;  "  and  as  it  is  from  the  southwest  it  will  soon  carry 
us  out  of  the  river.  Now,  what  had  we  better  do  with 
those  fellows  in  the  cabin  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  the  best  plan,  captain,  would  be  to 
bring  the  boat  alongside,  and  tell  them  that  if  they  will 
leave  their  arms  behind  them,  and  come  out  one  by  one, 
they  may  take  to  it  and  row  ashore.  That  if  they  re- 
fuse, we  shall  open  the  door  and  give  them  no  quarter." 

"  That  would  be  the  best  plan,"  the  captain  agreed, 
and  going  to  one  of  the  windows  offered  these  terms  to 
the  Spaniards.  The  men  had  prepared  for  the  worst, 
and  had  determined  to  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as 
possible.  So  convinced  were  they  that  the  beggars 
would  show  no  quarter  that  they  were  at  first  incredu- 
lous. 


234  B r  PIKE  AND  D YKE. 

"  It  is  a  trick  to  get  us  to  give  up  our  arms,"  one 
said. 

"  It  is  not,"  the  capatin  replied.  "  I  swear  to  you  on 
the  word  of  a  sailor  that  we  will  respect  the  terms  and 
allow  you  to  depart  unarmed.  We  don't  want  to  throw 
away  three  or  four  lives  merely  for  the  pleasure  of  cut- 
ting your  throats." 

After  a  consultation  between  themselves  the  soldiei's 
accepted  the  terms.  Ned  placed  himself  at  one  of  the 
windows  to  see  that  the  arms  were  laid  aside  before  the 
men  issued  out.  Then  the  coils  of  rope  were  removed, 
and  the  door  opened,  the  sailors  taking  their  place 
there  in  case  the  Spaniards  at  the  last  moment  should 
catch  up  their  arms.  This,  however,  they  had  no  idea 
of  doing,  and  were  indeed  far  more  afraid  of  treffchery 
than  were  their  captors.  One  by  one  they  issued  out, 
passed  between  the  line  of  the  sailors  to  the  bulwark, 
and  got  into  the  boat.  It  was  still  dark,  and  they  could 
not  tell  that  the  group  of  men  at  the  cabin  door 
were  all  those  on  board.  As  soon  as  the  last  was 
in  the  rope  was  thrown  off  and  the  boat  dropped 
astern. 

"  It  will  be  light  enough  to  see  the  shore  in  half  an 
hour,"  the  captain  said  as  they  drifted  away,  "  and  then 
you  can  land  where  you  like." 

"  It  would  be  awkward  if  they  happen  to  light  upon 
some  town,"  Ned  said, "  and  so  bring  out  boats  to  cut 
us  off." 

"  There  is  no  fear  of  that,"  the  captain  replied.  "  Ter- 
goes  is  the  only  place  down  here  in  which  they  have  a 
garrison,  and  that  lies  some  miles  away  yet.  Besides, 
we  shall  get  under  way  as  soon  as  we  can  make  out 
the  shore.  They  have  only  two  oars  on  board,  and  are 
not  likely  to  know  very  much  about  rowing  j  besides, 


p.  &  D.       The  Spanish  Soldiers  allowed  to  reach  ths  Ship.— Pa^e  334. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  235 

we  shall  make  out  the  shore  from  deck  before  they  will 
from  the  boat." 

"  Of  course  you  will  not  go  round  by  Flushing  now  ? 
It  will  be  shorter  for  you  to  go  straight  out  to  sea  through 
the  islands." 

"  Yes,  and  less  dangerous.  There  may  be  ships  at 
Tergoes  and  on  the  east  side  of  Walchereu,  as  they  still 
hold  Middelburg." 

"  The  sooner  we  are  out  to  sea  the  better,  and  it  will 
of  course  suit  you  also,"  Ned  replied.  "  I  only  wanted  to 
put  ashore  at  Flushing  in  order  to  take  another  boat  there 
for  Rotterdam,  so  that  I  shall  save  one  day,  if  not  two, 
if  you  sail  there  direct." 

In  another  half  hour  it  was  light  enough  to  make  out 
the  shore.  The  anchor  was  again  weighed  in  and  the 
boat  got  under  way.  They  were  now  off  the  end  of  the 
Island  of  St.  Anna,  and  leaving  South  Beveland  behind 
them  turned  up  the  channel  called  the  Kype,  between 
the  Islands  of  North  Beveland  and  Duveland.  Here 
they  passed  many  fishing  smacks  and  coasting  vessels, 
for  they  were  now  in  the  heart  of  Zeeland,  and  far  beyond 
reach  of  the  Spaniards.  They  were  frequently  hailed, 
and  were  greeted  with  shouts  of  applause  when  they  told 
how  they  had  given  the  Spaniards  the  slip  and  made 
their  escape  from  Bergen.  Two  hours  later  they  were 
out  at  sea,  and  before  sunset  entered  the  port  of  Rotter- 
dam. Finding,  when  he  landed,  that  the  Prince  of 
Orange  had  that  day  returned  from  a  trip  to  Haarlem 
and  some  other  towns,  where  he  had  been  engaged  in 
raising  the  spirits  of  the  citizens,  inciting  them  to  re- 
sistance, and  urging  them  that  it  was  necessary  to  make 
a  common  effort  against  the  enemy,  and  not  to  allow  the 
town  to  be  taken  piecemeal,  Ned  at  once  made  his  way 
to  the  house  he  occupied.    As  he  entered  one  of  the 


236  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

pages  hurried  up  to  him.  "  What  do  you  want  ?  "  he 
asked.  "  The  prince  is  ready  to  give  audience  to  all 
who  have  important  business,  but  it  is  too  much  that 
he  should  be  intruded  upon  by  sailor  lads." 

"You  do  not  remember  me !"  Ned  laughed.  "Your 
memory  is  a  short  one,  Master  Hans." 

"  I  did  not,  indeed !"  the  page  exclaimed.  "  Who 
would  have  thought  of  seeing  you  dressed  as  a  sailor 
boy  ?  The  prince  will  be  glad  to  see  you ;  for  the  first 
question  he  asked  when  he  crossed  the  threshold  this 
afternoon  was  whether  you  had  returned." 

He  hurried  away,  and  returned  a  minute  later  with 
word  that  the  prince  would  see  Ned  at  once. 

"  Well,  my  brave  lad,  so  you  have  returned,"  the 
prince  said  as  Ned  entered.  "  I  have  blamed  myself 
many  times  for  letting  you  go  upon  so  dangerous  a 
mission,  and  I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  that  you  have 
safely  returned,  even  if  you  have  failed  altogether  touch- 
ing the  matter  on  which  you  went." 

"  I  thought  more  of  the  honor  than  of  the  danger  of 
the  mission  you  intrusted  to  me,  your  excellenc}^"  Ned 
replied,  "  and  am  happy  to  say^  that  I  ha.ve  fulfilled  it 
successfully,  and  have  brought  you  back  messages  by 
word  of  mouth  from  all,  save  one,  of  those  to  whom  your 
letters  were  addressed." 

"  Say  you  so  !  "  the  prince  exclaimed  in  tones  of  satis- 
faction. "  Then  you  have  indeed  done  well.  And 
how  fared  it  with  you  on  your  journey  ?  Did  you  de- 
liver the  letters  and  return  here  without  suspicion  fall- 
ing upon  you  ?" 

"  No,  sir.  I  have  run  some  slight  risk  and  danger 
owing  to  an  unfortunate  meeting  with  Councillor  Von 
Aert,  who  was  of  a  more  suspicious  nature  than  his 
coiintrymen  in  general ;  but  I  will  not  occupy  your  ex- 


BT  PIKE  AND  DTKE.  ^37 

cellency's  time  by  talking  about  myself,  but  will  deliver 
the  various  messages  with  which  I  am  charged." 

He  then  went  through  the  particulai"s  of  his  interviews 
with  each  of  the  nine  pereons  he  had  visited,  and  gave 
the  contents  of  the  letter,  word  for  word,  he  had  receiv- 
ed from  the  tenth,  excusing  himself  for  not  having 
brought  the  message  by  word  of  mouth,  owing  to  the 
difficulty  of  obtaining  a  private  audience  with  him. 
He  also  produced  the  paper  upon  which  he  had  jotted 
down  all  the  particulars  of  the  men  and  money  that  had 
been  confided  to  him. 

"  Your  news  might  be  better,  and  worse,"  the  prince 
said  when  he  had  concluded.  "Some  of  these  men 
doubtless  are,  as  they  say,  zealous  in  the  cause,  others 
are  not  to  be  largely  trusted  in  extremities.  The 
money  they  promise  is  less  than  I  had  hoped.  Promises 
are  cheaper  than  gold,  and  even  here  in  Holland,  where 
all  is  at  stake,  the  burghers  are  loth  to  put  their  hands 
in  their  pockets,  and  haggle  over  their  contributions  as 
if  they  were  to  be  spent  for  my  pleasure  instead  of  their 
own  safety.  It  is  pitiful  to  see  men  so  fond  of  their 
money-bags.  The  numbers  of  the  men  who  can  be  relied 
upon  to  rise  are  satisfactory,  and  more  even  than  I  had 
hoped  for ;  for  in  matters  like  this  a  man  must  proceed 
cautiously,  and  only  sound  those  upon  whom  he  feels 
sure  beforehand  he  can  rely.  The  worst  of  it  is,  they 
are  all  waiting  for  each  other.  One  will  move  if  anoth- 
er will  move,  but  none  will  be  first.  They  will  move 
if  I  get  a  victory.  But  how  can  I  win  a  victory  when 
I  have  no  army  nor  money  to  raise  one,  and  when  each 
city  will  fight  only  in  its  own  defence,  and  will  not  put 
a  man  under  arms  for  the  common  cause  ?" 

As  the  prince  was  evidently  speaking  to  himself 
rather  than  to  him,  Ned  remained  silent.    "  Please  tc 


2B8  ^Y  PIKE  AND  DYK£. 

write  all  the  particulars  down  that  you  have  given  me,'* 
the  prince  went  on,  "  that  I  may  think  it  over  at  my 
leisure.  And  so  you  could  not  see  the  Count  of  Cover- 
don  ?    Was  he  more  difficult  of  access  than  he  of  Sluys  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  that  he  was,  sir,"  Ned  replied ; 
"  but  my  attire  was  not  such  as  to  gain  me  an  entrance 
into  ante-chambers." 

"  No,  I  did  not  think  of  that,"  the  prince  said. 
"  You  should  have  taken  with  you  a  suit  of  higher  qual- 
ity. I  forgot  when  I  agreed  that  you  should,  for  safety, 
travel  as  a  country  lad,  that  in  such  a  dress  you  could 
hardly  gain  an  entrance  into  the  palace  of  nobles  ;  and 
of  course  it  would  have  excited  surprise  for  one  so  at- 
tired to  try  to  purchase  such  clothes  as  would  have  en- 
abled you  to  boldly  enter." 

"  I  might  possibly  have  managed  as  a  peasant  lad," 
Ned  replied  with  a  smile ;  "  but  having  been  detected 
in  that  attire,  and  being  eagerly  sought  for  by  Von 
Aert's  agents,  I  was  at  the  time  dressed  as  a  peasant 
woman,  and  could  think  of  no  possible  excuse  upon 
which  1  might  obtain  an  audience  with  the  count." 

"No,  indeed,"  the  prince  said,  smiling,  "  I  must 
hear  your  story  with  all  its  details  ;  but  as  it  is  doubt- 
less somewhat  long,  I  must  put  it  off  until  later.  After 
the  evening  meal  you  shall  tell  us  your  adventures  be- 
fore I  betake  myself  to  my  work." 

Ned  retired  to  his  own  room  and  resumed  the  attire 
he  usually  wore.  After  supper  he  was  sent  for  by  the 
prince,  with  whom  he  found  the  chamberlain  and  three 
01  four  of  his  principal  officers. 

"  Now,  young  sir,  tell  us  your  story,"  the  prince  said. 
"  Do  not  fear  of  its  being  long.  It  is  a  rest  to  have 
one's  mind  taken  off  the  affairs  of  state.  I  have  already 
told  these  gentlemen  what  valuable  services  you  have 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  239 

rendered  to  the  cause  we  all  have  at  heart,  and  they, 
like  myself,  wish  to  know  how  you  fared,  and  how  you 
escaped  the  danger  you  referred  to  at  the  hands  of  Von 
Aert." 

Thus  requested,  Ned  gave  a  full  account  of  his 
journey,  and  of  the  adventures  he  had  met  with  in 
Brussels  and  on  his  way  back. 

"  What  think  you,  sirs,"  the  prince  asked  when  Ned 
had  concluded  his  story.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  this  lad 
has  shown  a  courage,  a  presence  of  mind,  and  a  quick- 
ness of  decision  that  would  be  an  honor  to  older  men. 
The  manner  in  which  he  escaped  from  the  hands  of  Von 
Aert,  one  of  the  craftiest  as  well  as  of  the  most  cruel  of 
the  Council  of  Blood,  was  excellent;  and  had  he  then, 
after  obtaining  his  disguise,  escaped  at  once  from  the 
city,  I  for  one  should  assuredly  not  have  blamed  him, 
and  I  consider  he  showed  a  rare  devotion  in  continuing 
to  risk  his  life  to  deliver  my  letters.  Then,  again,  the 
quickness  with  which  he  contrives  to  carry  out  his  scheme 
for  saying  a  word  to  the  Count  of  Sluys  was  excellent; 
and  though  he  takes  no  credit  to  himself,  I  doubt  not 
that  the  escape  of  the  boat,  after  falling  foul  of  the  Span- 
ish ship,  was  greatly  due  to  him.  I  think,  sirs,  you 
will  agree  with  me  that  he  has  the  makings  of  a  very 
able  man  in  him,  and  that  henceforth  we  can  safely  in- 
trust him  with  the  most  delicate  as  well  as  the  most 
perilous  missions." 

There  was  a  general  cordial  agreement. 

"  I  am  free  to  aver  that  you  are  right  and  that  I  am 
wrong,  prince,"  the  chamberlain  said.  "  I  know  that  you 
seldom  fail  in  your  judgment  of  character,  and  yet  it 
seemed  to  me,  if  you  will  not  mind  my  saying  so,  that 
it  was  not  only  rash  but  wrong  to  risk  the  lives  of  our 
friends  in  Brussels  upon  the  chances  of  the  discretion 


240  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

of  the  lad.  I  now  see  you  were  right,  for  there  are  few 
indeed  who,  placed  as  he  was,  would  have  carried  out 
his  mission  as  skillfully  and  well  as  he  has  done." 

"  By  the  way,"  the  prince  said,  "  I  would  beg  you  to 
seek  out  the  captain  of  the  boat  in  which  you  came  here, 
and  bid  him  come  to  me  this  time  to-mcrrow  evening. 
I  would  fain  hear  from  him  somewhat  further  details  as 
to  how  you  escaped  from  the  Spaniards,  for  I  observed 
that  in  this  matter  you  were  a  little  reticent  as  to  your 
share  in  it.  He  may  be  able  to  tell  me,  too,  more  about 
the  strength  of  the  Spanish  garrisons  in  Bergen  and  its 
neighborhood  than  you  can  do." 

For  the  next  fortnight  Ned  was  employed  carrjdng 
messages  from  the  prince  to  various  towns  and  ports. 
Alva  was  at  Amsterdam,  and  the  army  under  his  son, 
Don  Frederick,  was  marching  in  that  direction  on  their 
way  from  Zutphen.  They  came  down  upon  the  little 
town  of  Naarden  on  the  coast  of  the  Zuider-Zee.  A 
troop  of  a  hundred  men  was  sent  forward  to  demand  its 
surrender.  The  burghers  answered  that  they  held  the 
town  for  the  king  and  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  a  shot 
was  fired  at  the  troopers.  Having  thus  committed  them- 
selves, the  burghers  sent  for  reinforcements  and  aid  to 
the  Dutch  towns,  but  none  were  sent  them,  and  when 
the  Spaniards  approached  on  the  1st  of  December  they 
sent  out  envoys  to  make  terms.  The  army  marched 
forward  and  encamped  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  town. 

A  large  deputation  was  sent  out  and  was  met  by 
General  Romero,  who  informed  them  that  he  was  com- 
missioned on  the  part  of  Don  Frederick  to  treat  with 
them.  He  demanded  the  keys,  and  gave  them  a  solemn 
pledge  that  the  lives  and  properties  of  all  the  inhabitants 
should  be  respected.  The  gates  were  thrown  open, 
and   Romero  with   five   hundred  soldiers  entered.    A 


at  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  241 

sumptuous  feast  was  prepared  fot  them  by  the  inhab- 
itants. After  this  was  over  the  citizens  were  summoned 
by  the  great  bell  to  assemble  m  the  church  that  was 
used  as  a  town  hall.  As  soon  as  they  assembled  the 
soldiers  attacked  them  and  killed  them  all.  The  town 
was  then  set  on  fire,  and  almost  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  killed.  Don  Frederick  forbade  that  the  dead 
should  be  buried,  and  issued  orders  forbidding  any  one, 
on  pain  of  death,  to  give  shelter  to  the  few  fugitives 
who  had  got  away.  The  few  houses  which  had  escaped 
the  flames  were  leveled  to  the  ground,  and  Naarden 
ceased  to  exist. 

Great  as  the  horrors  perpetrated  at  Zutphen  had  been, 
they  were  surpassed  by  the  atrocities  committed  at  Naar- 
den. The  news  of  this  horrible  massacre,  so  far  from 
frightening  the  Hollanders  into  submission,  nerved 
them  to  even  more  strenuous  resistance.  Better  death 
in  whatsoever  form  it  came  than  to  live  under  the  rule 
of  these  foul  murderers.  With  the  fall  of  Naarden 
there  remained  only  the  long  strip  of  land  facing  the 
sea,  and  connected  at  but  a  few  points  with  the  mainland, 
that  remained  faithful  to  the  cause  of  freedom.  The 
rest  of  the  Netherlands  lay  cowed  beneath  the  heel  of 
the  Spaniards.  Holland  alone  and  a  few  of  the  islands 
of  Zeeland  remained  to  be  conquered. 

The  inhabitants  of  Holland  felt  the  terrible  danger ; 
and  Bossu,  Alva's  stadtholder,  formally  announced  that 
the  system  pursued  at  Mechlin,  Zutphen,  and  Naarden 
was  the  deliberate  policy  of  the  government,  and  that 
man,  woman  and  child  would  be  exterminated  in  every 
city  which  opposed  the  Spanish  authority.  The  day 
after  the  news  arrived  of  the  fall  of  Naarden,  Ned  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  his  father,  saying  that  the  Good 
Venture  was  again  at  Enkhuizer  and  that  she  would 


242  BT  PIKE  AND  BTKS. 

in  two  days  start  for  Haarlem  with  a  fleet  of  Dutch 
vessels  ;  that  he  himself  had  made  great  progress  in  the 
last  six  weeks,  and  should  return  to  England  in  her ; 
and  that  if  Ned  found  that  he  could  get  away  for  a  day 
or  two  he  should  be  glad  to  see  him. 

The  prince  at  once  gave  Ned  peraiission  to  leave, 
and  as  he  had  an  excellent  horse  at  his  service  he  started 
the  next  morning  at  daybreak  and  arrived  at  Enkhuizen 
before  nightfall.  He  was  received  with  great  joy  by 
his  family,  and  was  delighted  to  find  his  father  look- 
ing quite  himself  again.  "  Yes,  thanks  to  good  nursing 
and  good  food,  my  boy,  I  feel  almost  strong  and  well 
enough  to  take  my  post  at  the  helm  of  the  Good  Ven- 
ture again.  The  doctor  tells  me  that  in  another  couple 
of  months  I  shall  be  able  to  have  a  wooden  leg  strapped 
on,  and  to  stump  about  again.  That  was  a  rare  adven- 
ture you  had  at  Brussels,  Ned ;  and  you  must  give  us 
a  full  account  of  it  presently.  In  the  morning  you 
must  come  on  board  the  vessel,  Peters  and  the  crew  will 
be  all  glad  to  see  you  again." 

Ned  stayed  two  days  with  his  family.  On  the  even- 
ing of  the  second  day,  he  said  to  his  father :  "  I  should 
like  to  make  the  trip  to  Haarlem  and  back,  father,  in 
the  Good  Venture.  It  may  be  that  the  Spaniards  will 
sally  out  from  Amsterdam  and  attack  it.  Last  time 
we  had  to  run  away,  you  know,  but  if  there  is  a  sea-fight 
I  should  like  to  take  my  part  in  it." 

"  Very  well,  Ned,  I  have  no  objection  ;  but  I  hardly 
think  that  there  will  be  a  fight.  The  Spaniards  are  too 
strong,  and  the  fleet  will  start  so  as  to  pass  through  the 
strait  by  night." 

"  Well,  at  any  rate  I  should  like  to  be  on  board  the 
Good  Venture  again,  if  only  for  the  sail  down  and  back 
again,"  Ned  said.     "  They  are  to  sail  at  three  o'clock  to- 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  243 

morrow,  so  that  if  the  wind  is  fair  they  will  pass  the 
strait  at  night  and  anchor  under  the  walls  of  Haarlem 
in  the  morning.  I  suppose  they  will  be  two  days  dis- 
charging their  cargo  of  food  and  grain,  and  one  reason 
why  I  want  to  go  is  that  I  may  if  possible  persuade  my 
aunt  and  the  two  girls  to  return  with  me  and  to  sail  for 
England  with  you.  All  tliink  that  Haarlem  will  be  the 
next  place  besieged,  and  after  what  has  taken  place  in 
the  other  towns  it  would  be  madness  for  my  aunt  to 
stop  there," 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,  Ned.  The  duke  is  sure  to 
attack  Haarlem  next.  If  he  captures  it  he  will  cut 
Holland  in  two  and  strike  a  terrible  blow  at  the  cause. 
Your  mother  shall  write  a  letter  to-night  to  her  sister-in- 
law  urging  her  to  come  with  us,  and  take  up  her  abode  in 
England  till  these  troubles  are  over.  She  can  either 
dwell  with  us,  or,  if  she  would  rather,  we  can  find  her  a 
cottage  hard  by.  She  will  be  well  provided  with  money, 
for  I  have  at  home  a  copy  of  your  grandfather's  will 
signed  by  him  leaving  all  his  property  to  such  of  his 
relatives  as  may  survive  him. 

"  His  three  sons  are  dead  ;  your  mother  and  Elizabeth 
are  therefore  his  heirs,  and  the  money  he  transmitted  to 
England  is  in  itself  sufficient  to  keep  two  families  in 
comfort.  What  proportion  of  it  was  his  and  what  be- 
longed to  his  sons  now  matters  not,  seeing  that  your 
mother  and  aunt  are  the  sole  survivors  of  the  family. 
As  you  say,  it  is  madness  for  her  to  remain  in  Holland 
with  her  two  girls.  Were  I  a  burgher  of  that  town  I 
would  send  my  family  away  to  Leyden  or  Dort  and  stay 
myself  to  defend  the  walls  to  the  last,  but  I  do  not 
believe  that  many  will  do  so.  Your  countrymen  are 
obstinate  people,  Sophie,  and  I  fear  that  few  will  send 
their  families  away." 


244  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKB. 

Upon  the  following  afternoon  Ned  started  with  the 
little  fleet.  The  wind  was  fair  and  light,  and  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  strait  leading  from  the  Zuider- 
Zee  to  Haarlem.  Then  suddenly  the  wind  dropped  and 
the  vessels  cast  anchor.  For  the  two  or  three  days 
previous  tlie  weather  had  been  exceedingly  cold,  and 
with  the  fall  of  the  wind  the  frost  seemed  to  increase  in 
severity,  and  Ned,  who  had  been  pacing  the  deck  with 
Peters,  chatting  over  what  had  happened  since  they  last 
met,  was  glad  to  go  in  to  the  cabin,  where  the  new  first 
mate  and  supercargo  had  retired  as  soon  as  the  anchor 
was  let  go.  They  sat  talking  for  a  couple  of  hours  until 
a  sailor  came  in,  and  said  that  they  were  hailed  by  the 
nearest  ship,  They  all  went  on  deck.  Ned  shouted  to 
know  what  was  the  matter. 

"  Do  you  not  see  the  water  is  freezing  ?  By  morning 
we  shall  be  all  frozen  up  hard  and  fast." 

This  was  startling  news  indeed,  for  they  were  now  in 
full  sight  of  Amsterdam,  and  would,  if  detainee^  thus,  be 
open  to  an  attack  across  the  ice. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  245 


CHAPTER  Xni. 

THE  SIEGE  OF   HAARLEM. 

There  was  much  shouting  in  the  little  fleet  as  the 
news  spread  that  the  sea  was  freezing.  Boats  were 
lowered  and  rowed  from  the  ship,  for  the  ice  was  as  yet 
no  thicker  than  window  glass.  Ned  went  from  the  Good 
Venture  to  the  craft  round  which  most  of  the  boats  were 
assembling  to  hear  what  was  decided.  He  returned  in  a 
few  minutes. 

"  They  are  all  of  opinion  that  it  is  hopeless  for  us  to 
get  out  of  this.  We  could  tow  the  vessels  a  short  dis- 
tance, but  every  hour  the  ice  will  thicken.  They  con- 
,  eluded  that  anchors  shall  be  got  up,  and  that  the  ships 
all  lie  together  as  close  as  they  can  pack." 

"  What  will  be  the  use  of  that  ? "  Peters  asked. 
"  If  we  are  to  be  frozen  up  it  makes  no  difference  that  I 
can  see,  whether  we  are  together  or  scattered  as  at 
present." 

"  The  idea  is,"  Ned  said,  "  if  we  are  packed  together 
we  can  defend  ourselves  better  than  if  scattered  about, 
and  what  is  more  important  still,  we  can  cut  through 
the  ice  and  keep  a  channel  of  open  water  round  us." 

"  So  we  could,"  Peters  agreed.  "  Let  us  to  work  then. 
Which  ship  are  we  to  gather  round  ?  " 

"  The  one  I  have  just  left,  Peters  ;  she  is  lying  nearly 
in  the  center." 

For  the  next  two  hours  there  was  much  bustle  and 
hard  work.     Thin  as  the  ice  was  it  yet  greatly  hindered 


246  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

the  operation  of  moving  the  ships.  At  last  they  were  all 
packed  closely  together;  much  more  closely  than  would 
be  possible  in  these  days,  for  the  bowsprits,  instead  of 
running  out  nearly  "parallel  with  the  water-line,  stood  up 
at  a  sharp  angle,  and  the  vessels  could  therefore  be  laid 
with  the  bow  of  one  touching  the  stern  of  that  in  advance. 
As  there  was  now  no  motive  for  concealment,  lamps  were 
shown  and  torches  burned.  There  were  thirty  craft  in 
all,  and  they  were  arranged  in  five  lines  closely  touching 
each  other.  When  all  was  done  the  crews  retired  to 
rest.  There  was  no  occasion  to  keep  watch,  for  the  ice 
had  thickened  so  fast  that  boats  could  not  now  force  their 
way  through  it,  while  it  would  not  before  morning  be 
strong  enough  to  bear  the  weight  of  armed  men  walking 
across  it. 

"  This  is  a  curious  position,"  Ned  said,  as  he  went  on 
deck  next  morning.  "  How  long  do  you  think  we  are 
likely  to  be  kept  here,  Peterj  ?  " 

"  Maybe  twenty-four  hours,  maybe  three  weeks,  lad. 
These  frosts  wlien  they  set  in  like  this  seldom  last  less 
than  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks.  What  do  you  think  of 
our  chances  of  being  attacked  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  they  are  sure  to  attack  us.  The  whole 
Spanish  army  is  lying  over  there  in  Amsterdam,  and  as 
soon  as  the  ice  is  strong  enough  to  bear  them  you  will 
see  them  coming  out.  How  strong  a  force  can  we 
muster  ?  " 

"  There  are  thirty  craft,"  Peters  replied  ;  "  and  I 
should  think  they  average  fully  fifteen  men  each — 
perhaps  twenty.  They  carry  strong  crews  at  all  times  ; 
and  stronger  than  usual  now." 

"  That  would  give  from  five  to  six  hundred  men.  I 
suppose  all  carry  arms  ?  " 

*'  Oh,  ves.    I  do  not  suppose  that  there  is  a  man  here 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  247 

who  has  not  weapons  of  some  kind,  and  most  of  them 
have  arquebuses.  It  will  take  a  strong  force  to  carry 
this  wooden  fort." 

It  was  still  freezing  intensely,  and  the  ice  was  strong 
enough  to  bear  men  scattered  here  and  there,  although 
it  would  not  have  sustained  them  gathered  together. 
Toward  the  afternoon  the  captain  judged  that  it  had 
thickened  sufficiently  to  begin  work,  and  fifty  or  sixty 
men  provided  with  hatchets  got  upon  the  ice  and 
proceeded  to  break  it  away  round  the  vessels.  After  a 
couple  of  hours  a  fresh  party  took  their  places,  and  by 
nightfall  the  ships  were  surrounded  by  a  belt  of  open 
water,  some  fifteen  yards  wide.  A  meeting  of  the  cap- 
tains had  been  held  during  the  day,  and  the  most  ex- 
perienced had  been  chosen  as  leader,  with  five  lieuten- 
ants under  him.  Each  lieutenant  was  to  command  the 
crews  of  six  ships.  When  it  became  dark  five  boats 
were  lowered.  These  were  to  row  round  and  round  the 
ships  all  night  so  as  to  keep  the  water  from  freezing 
again.  The  crews  were  to  be  relieved  once  an  hour, 
so  that  each  ship  would  furnish  a  set  of  rowei-s  once  in 
six  houi-s.  Numerous  anchorshad  been  lowered  when 
the  ships  were  first  packed  together,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
mass  from  drifting  when  tide  flowed  or  ebbed,  as  this 
would  have  brought  them  in  contact  with  one  side  or  the 
other  of  the  ice  around  them.  The  next  morning  the 
ice  was  found  to  be  five  inches  thick,  and  the  captains 
were  of  opinion  that  the  Spaniards  might  now  attempt 
an  attack  upon  them. 

"  Their  first  attack  will  certainly  fail,"  Ned  said,  as 
they  sat  at  breakfast.  "  They  will  be  baffled  by  this 
water  belt  round  us.  However,  they  will  come  next 
time  with  rafts  ready  to  push  across  it,  and  then  we 
shall  have  fighting  in  earnest." 


248  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

The  lieutenant  under  whom  the  crew  of  the  Good  Ven- 
ture were  placed  came  down  while  they  were  at  break- 
fast to  inquire  how  many  arquebuses  there  were  on 
board.  ^ 

"  We  have  ten,"  the  captain  said. 

"  As  I  suppose  you  have  no  men  who  skate  on  board, 
I  should  be  glad  if  you  will  hand  them  over  to  me." 

"  What  does  he  say  ?  "  the  first  mate  asked  in  surprise 
upon  this  being  translated  to  him.  "  What  does  he 
mean  by  asking  if  we  have  any  men  who  skate  and  why 
should  we  give  up  our  guns  if  we  can  use  them  our- 
selves ?  "     Ned  put  the  question  to  the  lieutenant. 

"  We  are  going  to  attack  them  on  the  ice  as  they 
come  out,"  he  replied.  "  Of  course  all  our  vessels  have 
skates  on  board  ;  in  winter  we  always  carry  them,  as  we 
may  be  frozen  up  at  any  time.  And  we  shall  send  out 
as  many  men  as  can  be  armed  with  arquebuses  ;  those 
who  remain  on  board  will  fight  the  guns." 

"  That  is  a  capital  plan,"  Ned  said  ;  "  and  the  Spanish, 
who  are  unaccustomed  to  i(afc  will  be  completely  puzzled. 
It  is  lucky  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind  when  it  froze, 
and  the  surface  is  as  smooth  as  glass.  Well,  there  will 
be  nine  arquebuses  for  you,  sir  ;  for  I  have  been  out  here 
two  winters  and  have  learned  to  skate,  so  I  will  accom- 
pany the  party,  the  other  nine  arquebuses  with  ammuni- 
tion we  will  hand  over  to  you." 

A  lookout  at  one  of  the  mastheads  now  shouted  that 
he  could  make  out  a  black  mass  on  the  ice  near  Amster- 
dam, and  believed  that  it  was  a  large  body  of  troops. 
Every  preparation  had  already  been  made  on  board  the 
ships  for  the  fight.  The  Good  Venture  lay  on  the  out- 
side tier  facing  Amsterdam,  having  been  placed  there 
because  she  carried  more  guns  than  any  of  the  other 
vessels,  which  were  for  the  most  part  small,  and  few 


fir  PIKE  AND  BYKS.  249 

carried  more  than  four  guns,  while  the  armament  of  the 
Good  Venture  had,  after  her  fight  with  the  Don  Pedro, 
been  increased  to  ten  guns.  The  guns  from  the  vessels 
in  the  inner  tiers  had  all  been  shifted  on  to  those  lying 
outside,  and  the  wooden  fort  literally  bristled  with 
cannon. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  news  that  the  Spaniards 
were  on  their  way  had  been  given,  three  hundred  men 
with  arquebuses  were  ferried  across  the  channel,  and 
were  disembarked  on  to  the  ice.  They  were  divided 
into  five  companies  of  sixty  men  each,  under  the  lieuten- 
ants ;  the  captain  remained  to  superintend  the  defense 
of  the  ships.  The  Dutch  sailors  were  as  much  at  home  on 
their  skates  as  upon  dry  land,  and  in  high  spirits  started 
to  meet  the  enemy.  It  was  a  singular  sight  to  see  the 
five  bodies  of  men  gliding  away  across  ice.  There  was 
no  attempt  at  formation  or  order  ;  all  understood  their 
business,  for  in  winter  it  was  one  of  their  favorite  sports 
to  fire  at  a  mark  while  skating  at  a  rapid  pace. 

It  was  two  miles  from  the  spot  where  the  ships  lay 
frozen  up  to  Amsterdam.  The  Spaniards,  a  thousand 
strong,  had  traversed  about  a  third  of  the  distance  when 
the  skaters  approached  them.  Keeping  their  feet  with 
the  utmost  difficulty  upon  the  slippery  ice,  they  were 
astonished  at  the  rapid  approach  of  the  Dutchmen. 
Breaking  up  as  they  approached,  their  assailants  came 
dashing  along  at  a  rapid  pace,  discharged  their  arque- 
buses into  the  close  mass  of  the  Spaniards,  and  then 
wheeled  away  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  reloaded  and 
again  swept  down  to  fire. 

Against  these  tactics  the  Spaniards  could  do  little. 
Unsteady  as  they  were  on  their  feet,  the  recoil  of  their 
heavy  arquebuses  frequently  threw  them  over,  and  it 
was  imposible  to  take  anything  like  an  accurate  aim  at 


250  Bt  PIKE  AND  BTKJU. 

the  flying  figures  that  passed  them  at  the  speed  of  a 
galloping  horse.  Nevertheless  they  doggedly  kept  on 
their  way,  leaving  the  ice  behind  them  dotted  with  killed 
and  wounded.  Not  a  gun  was  discharged  from  on  board 
the  ships  until  the  head  of  the  Spanish  column  reached 
the  edge  of  the  water,  and  discovered  the  impassable 
obstacle  that  lay  between  them  and  the  vessels.  Then 
the  order  was  given  to  fire,  and  the  head  oi  the  column 
was  literally  swept  away  by  the  discharge. 

The  commander  of  the  Spaniards  now  gave  the  order 
for  a  retreat.  As  they  fell  back  the  guns  of  the  ships 
swept  their  ranks,  the  musketeers  hai-assed  them  on 
each  flank,  the  ice,  cracked  and  broken  by  the  artillery 
fire,  gave  way  under  their  feet,  and  many  fell  through 
and  were  dro'wned,  and  of  the  thousand  men  who  left 
Amsterdam  less  than  half  regained  that  city.  The 
Spaniards  were  astonished  at  this  novel  mode  of  fighting, 
and  the  dispatches  of  their  officers  gave  elaborate  des- 
criptions of  the  strange  appendages  that  had  enabled  the 
Hollanders  to  glide  so  rapidly  over  the  ice.  The  Span- 
iards were,  however,  always  ready  to  learn  from  a  foe. 
Alva  immediately  ordered  eight  thousand  pairs  of  skates, 
and  the  soldiers  were  kept  hard  at  work  practicing  until 
they  were  able  to  make  their  way  with  fair  rapidity  over 
the  ice. 

The  evening  after  the  fight  a  strong  wind  suddenly 
sprang  up  from  the  southwest,  and  the  rain  descended 
in  torrents.  By  morning  the  ice  was  already  broken 
up,  the  guns  were  hastily  shifted  to  the  vessels  to  which 
they  belonged,  the  ships  on  the  outside  tiers  cast  off 
from  the  others,  and  before  nQon  the  whole  were  on 
their  way  back  toward  Enkhuizen,  which  they  reached 
without  pursuit  by  the  Spanish  vessels  ;  for  at  nine  in 
the  morning  the  wind  changed  suddenly  again,  the  frost 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  251 

set  in  as  severely  as  before,  and  the  Spaniards  in  the  port 
of  Amsterdam  were  unable  to  get  out.  This  event  caused 
great  rejoicing  in  Holland,  and  was  regarded  as  a  happy 
omen  for  the  coming  contest. 

After  remaining  another  day  with  his  family,  Ned 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  to  Haarlem.  The  city  lay  at 
the  narrowest  point  of  the  narrow  strip  of  land  facing  the 
German  Ocean,  and  upon  the  shore  of  the  shallow  lake 
of  the  same  name.  Upon  the  opposite  side  of  this  lake, 
ten  miles  distant,  stood  the  town  of  Amsterdam.  The 
Lake  of  Haarlem  was  separated  from  the  long  inlet  of 
the  Zuider-Zee  called  the  Y  by  a  narrow  strip  of  land, 
slong  which  ran  the  causeway  connecting  the  two  cities. 
Halfway  along  this  neck  of  land  there  was  a  cut,  with 
sluice  works,  by  which  the  surrounding  country  could 
be  inundated.  The  port  of  Haarlem  on  the  Y  was  at 
the  village  of  Sparendam,  here  there  was  a  fort  for  the 
protection  of  the  shipping. 

Haarlem  was  one  of  the  largest  cities  of  the  Nether- 
lands ;  but  it  was  also  one  of  the  weakest.  The  walls 
were  old,  and  had  never  been  formidable.  The  extent 
of  the  defenses  made  a  large  garrison  necessary  ;  but  the 
force  available  for  the  defense  was  small  indeed.  Upon 
liis  way  toward  Haarlem  Ned  learned  that  on  the  night 
before,  the  10th  of  December,  Sparendam  had  been  cap- 
tured by  the  Spaniards,  A  secret  passage  across  the 
flooded  and  frozen  meadows  had  been  shown  to  them  by 
a  peasant,  and  they  had  stormed  the  fort,  killed  three 
hundred  men,  and  taken  possession  of  the  works  and 
village.  Thus  Haarlem  was  at  once  cut  off  from  all 
aid  coming  from  the  Zuider-Zee. 

Much  disquieted  by  the  news,  Ned  rode  on  rapidly 
and  entered  the  town  by  the  gate  upon  the  southern 
side ;  for,  as  he  approached,  he  learned  that  the  Span- 


252  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKB. 

iards  had  already  appeared  in  great  force  before  the 
city.  He  rode  at  once  to  his  aunt's  house,  hoping  to 
find  that  she  had  ah-eady  left  the  town  with  the  girls. 
Leaping  from  his  horae  he  entered  the  door  hurriedly, 
and  was  dismayed  to  find  his  aunt  seated  before  the  fire 
knitting. 

"  My  dear  aunt  1"  he  exclaimed,  "  do  you  know  that 
the  Spaniards  are  in  front  of  the  town  ?  Surely  to  re- 
main here  with  the  two  girls  is  madness  !" 

"  Every  one  else  is  remaining,  why  should  not  I, 
Ned  ?  "  his  aunt  asked  calmly. 

"  Other  people  have  their  houses  and  their  businesses, 
aunt,  but  you  have  nothing  to  keep  you  here.  You 
know  what  has  happened  at  Zutphen  and  Naarden. 
How  can  you  expose  the  girls,  even  if  you  are  so  obsti- 
nate yourself,  to  such  horrors  ?  " 

"  The  burghers  are  determined  to  hold  out  until  relief 
comes,  nephew." 

"  Ay,  if  they  can,"  Ned  replied.  "  But  who  knows 
whether  they  can.  This  is  madness,  aunt.  I  beseech 
you  come  with  me  to  your  father,  and  let  us  talk  over 
the  matter  with  him  ;  and  in  the  morning,  if  you  will 
not  go,  I  will  get  two  horses  and  mount  the  girls  on 
them,  and  ride  with  them  to  Ley  den — that  is,  if  by  the 
morning  it  is  not  already  too  late.  It  would  be  best  to 
proceed  at  once." 

Dame  Plomaert  reluctantly  yielded  to  the  energy  of 
her  nephew,  and  accompanied  liim  to  the  house  of  her 
father ;  but  the  weaver  was  absent  on  the  walls,  and 
did  not  return  until  late  in  the  evening.  Upon  Ned's 
putting  tlie  case  to  him,  he  at  ofice  agreed  that  it  would 
be  best  both  for  her  and  the  girls  to  leave. 

"  I  have  told  her  so  twenty  times  already,"  he  said ; 
"  but  Elizabeth  was  always  as  obstinate  as  a  mule.     Over 


BY  PIKE  AND  DTEE.  253 

and  over  again  she  has  said  she  would  go  J  and  having 
said  that  has  done  nothing.  She  can  do  no  good  by 
stopping  iiere  :  and  there  are  only  three  more  mouths  to 
feed.  By  all  means,  lad,  get  them  away  the  first  thing 
in  the  morning.  If  it  be  possible  I  would  say  start  to- 
night, dark  as  it  is  ;  but  the  Spanish  horse  may  be  all 
round  the  city,  and  you  might  ride  into  their  arms  with- 
out seeing  them." 

Ned  at  once  sallied  out,  and  without  much  difficulty 
succeeded  in  bargaining  for  three  horses ;  for  few  of  the 
inhabitants  had  left,  and  horses  would  not  only  be  of  no 
use  during  the  siege,  but  it  would  be  impossible  to  feed 
them.  Therefore  their  owners  were  glad  to  part  with 
them  for  far  less  than  their  real  value.  When  he 
reached  the  house  he  found  that  his  aunt  had  made  up 
three  bundles  with  clothes  and  what  jewelry  she  had, 
and  that  she  was  ready  to  start  with  the  girls  in  the 
morning. 

Before  daybreak  Ned  went  out  to  the  walls  on  the 
south  side,  but  as  the  light  broadened  out  discovered 
that  it  was  too  late.  During  the  night  heavy  reinforce- 
ments had  arrived  to  Don  Frederick  from  Amsterdam, 
and  a  large  force  was  already  facing  the  west  side  of 
the  city. 

With  a  heavy  heart  he  returned  to  his  aunt's  with  the 
news  that  it  was  too  late,  for  that  all  means  of  exit  was 
closed.  Dame  Plomaert  took  the  news  philosophically. 
She  was  a  woman  of  phlegmatic  disposition,  and  ob- 
jected to  sudden  movement  and  changes,  and  to  her  it 
seemed  far  less  terrible  to  await  quietly  the  fortunes  of 
the  siege  than  to  undergo  the  fatigues  of  a  journey  on 
horseback  and  the  uncertainty  of  an  unknown  future. 

"  Well,  nephew,"  she  said  placidly,  "  if  we  cannot  get 
away,  we  cannot  j  and  it  really  saves  a  world  of  trouble. 


254  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

But  what  are  you  going  to  do  yourself?  for  I  suppose 
if  we  cannot  get  away,  you  cannot." 

"  The  way  is  open  across  the  lake,"  Ned  replied,  "  and 
I  shall  travel  along  the  ice  to  the  upper  end  and  then 
over  to  Lej^den,  and  obtain  permission  from  the  prince 
to  return  here  by  the  same  way ;  or  if  not,  to  accompany 
the  force  he  is  raising  there,  for  this  will  doubtless 
march  at  once  to  the  relief  of  the  town.  Even  now, 
aunt,  you  might  make  your  escape  across  the  ice." 

"  I  have  not  skated  since  I  was  fifteen  years  old,"  the 
good  woman  said  placidly ;  "  and  at  my  age  and  weight 
I  am  certainly  not  going  to  try  now,  Ned.  Just  imagine 
me  upon  skates !  " 

Ned  could  not  help  smiling,  vexed  as  he  was.  His 
aunt  was  stout  and  portly,  and  he  ceitainly  could  not 
imagine  her  exerting  herself  sufficiently  to  undertake  a 
journey  on  skates ! 

"  But  the  girls  can  skate,"  he  urged. 

"  The  girls  are  girls,"  she  said  decidedly ;  "  and  I  am 
not  going  to  let  them  run  about  the  world  by  them- 
selves. You  say  yourself  that  reinforcements  will  soon 
start.  You  do  not  know  our  people,  nephew.  They 
will  beat  off  the  Spaniards.  Whatever  they  do,  the  cit}* 
will  never  be  taken.  My  father  says  so,  and  every  one 
says  so.  Surely  they  must  know  better  than  a  lad  like 
you!" 

Ned  shrugged  his  shoulders  in  despair,  and  went  out 
to  see  what  were  the  preparations  for  defense.  The 
garrison  consisted  only  of  some  fifteen  hundred  German 
mercenaries  and  the  burgher  force.  Ripperda,  the  com- 
mandant of  the  garrison,  was  an  able  and  energetic 
officer.  The  townspeople  were  animated  by  a  deter- 
mination to  resist  to  the  end.  A  portion  of  the  magis- 
tracy had,  in  the  first  place,  been  anxious  to  treat,  an4 


BY  ftKil  AlfD  DYKH.  ^55 

had  entered  into  secret  negotiations  with  Alva  sending 
three  of  their  number  to  treat  with  the  duke  at  Amster- 
dam. One  had  remained  there ;  the  other  two  on 
their  return  were  seized,  tried,  and  executed  ;  and  Sainte 
Aldegonde,  one  of  the  prince's  ministers,  had  been  dis- 
patched by  him  to  make  a  complete  change  in  the  mag- 
istracy. 

The  total  force  available  for  the  defense  of  the  town 
was  not,  at  the  commencement  of  the  siege,  more  than 
three  thousand  men,  while  over  thirty  thousand  Span- 
iards were  gathering  round  its  walls,  a  number  equal  to 
the  entire  population  of  the  city . 

The  Germans,  under  Count  Overstein,  finally  took 
up  their  encampment  in  the  extensive  grove  of  trees 
that  spread  between  the  southern  walls  and  the  shore  of 
the  lake. 

The  Spaniards,  under  Don  Frederick,  faced  the  north 
walls,  while  the  Walloons  and  other  regiments  closed  it 
in  on  the  east  and  west.  But  those  arrangements  occu- 
pied some  days ;  and  the  mists  which  favored  their 
movements  were  not  without  advantage  to  the  besieged. 
Under  cover  of  the  fog  supplies  of  provisions  and  am- 
munition were  bought  by  men  and  women  and  even 
children,  on  their  heads  or  in  sledges,  down  the  frozen 
lake,  and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  besiegers  intro- 
duced into  the  city. 

Ned  was  away  only  two  days.  The  prince  approved 
of  his  desire  to  take  part  in  the  siege,  and  furnished 
him  with  lettere  to  the  magistrates  promising  reinforce- 
ments, and  to  Ripperda  recommending  Ned  as  a  young 
gentleman  volunteer  of  great  courage  and  quickness, 
who  had  already  performed  valuable  service  for  the 
cause.  His  cousins  were  delighted  to  see  him  back. 
Naturally  they  did  not  share  in  their  mother's  confi- 


266  -fir  PlEE  AND  DTK& 

dence  as  to  the  result  of  the  siege,  and  felt  in  Ned's 
presence  a  certain  sense  oi  security  and  comfort.  Tlie 
garrison,  increased  by  the  enrollment  of  eveiy  man 
capable  of  bearing  arms,  now  numbered  a  thousand 
pioneers,  three  thousand  fighting  men,  and  three  hun- 
dred fighting  women. 

The  last  were  not  the  least  efficient  portion  of  the 
garrison.  All  were  aimed  with  sword,  musket,  and 
dagger,  and  were  led  by  Kanau  Hasselaer,  a  widow  of 
distinguished  family,  who  at  the  head  of  her  female 
band  took  part  in  many  of  the  fiercest  fights  of  the  siege, 
both  upon  and  without  the  walls. 

The  siege  commenced  badly.  In  the  middle  of  Decem- 
ber the  force  of  some  thirty-five  hundred  men  assembled 
at  Leyden  set  out  under  the  command  of  De  la  Marck, 
the  former  admiral  of  the  sea  beggars.  The  troops  were 
attacked  on  their  march  by  the  Spaniards,  and  a  thou- 
sand were  killed,  a  number  taken  prisoners,  and  the  rest 
routed. 

Among  the  captains  was  a  brave  officer  named  Van 
Trier,  for  whom  De  la  Marck  offered  two  thousand 
crowns  and  nineteen  Spanish  prisoners.  The  offer  was 
refused.  Van  Trier  was  hanged  by  one  leg  until  he 
was  dead,  upon  one  of  the  numerous  gibbets  erected  in 
sight  of  the  town ;  in  return  for  which  De  la  Marck 
at  once  executed  the  nineteen  Spaniards.  On  the  l8th 
of  December  Don  Frederick's  battteries  opened  fire 
upon  the  northern  side,  and  the  fire  was  kept  up  with- 
out intermission  for  three  days.  As  soon  as  the  first 
shot  was  fired,  a  crier  going  round  the  town  summoned 
all  to  assist  in  repairing  the  damages  as  fast  as  they 
were  made. 

The  whole  population  responded  to  the  summons. 
Men,  women,  and  children  brought  baskets  of  stones 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  257 

and  earth,  bags  of  sand  and  beams  of  wood,  and  these 
they  threw  into  the  gaps  as  fast  as  they  were  made. 
The  churches  were  stripped  of  all  their  stone  statues, 
and  these  too  were  piled  in  the  breaches.  The  besiegers 
were  greatly  horrified  at  what  they  declared  to  be  prof- 
anation ;  a  complaint  that  came  well  from  men  who 
had  been  occupied  in  the  wliolesale  murder  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  and  in  the  sacking  of  the  churches 
of  their  own  religion.  Don  Frederick  anticipated  a 
quick  and  easy  success.  He  deemed  that  this  weakly 
fortified  town  might  well  be  captured  in  a  week  by  an 
army  of  thirty  thousand  men,  and  that  after  spending  a 
few  days  slaughtering  its  inhabitants,  and  pillaging  and 
burning  the  houses  the  army  would  march  on  against 
the  next  town,  until  ere  long  the  rebellion  would  be 
stamped  out  and  Holland  transformed  into  a  desert. 

At  the  end  of  three  days'  cannonade  the  breach,  in 
spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  besieged,  was  practicable,  and  a 
strong  storming  party  led  by  General  Romero  advanced 
against  it.  As  the  column  was  seen  approaching,  the 
church  bells  rang  out  the  alarm,  the  citizens  caught  up 
their  arms,  and  men  and  women  hurried  to  the  threat- 
ened point.  As  tliey  approached  the  Spaniards  were  re- 
ceived with  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  ;  but  with  their  usual 
gallantry  the  veterans  of  Spain  pressed  forward  and 
began  to  mount  the  breach.  Now  they  weie  exposed 
not  only  to  the  fire  of  the  garrison  but  to  the  missiles 
thrown  by  the  burghers  and  women.  Heavy  stones, 
boiling  oil,  and  live  coals  were  hurled  down  upon  them  ; 
small  hoops  smeared  with  pitch  and  set  on  fire  were 
dexterously  thrown  over  their  heads,  and  after  a  vain 
struggle,  in  which  many  officers  were  killed  and  wound- 
ed, Romero,  who  had  himself  lost  an  eye  in  the  fight, 
called  off  his  troops  and  fell  back  from  the  breach,  leav- 
17 


258  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ing  from  three  to  four  hundred  dead  behind  him,  while 
but  a  half  dozen  of  the  townsmen  lost  their  lives. 

Upon  the  retreat  of  the  Spaniards  the  delight  in  the 
city  was  immense  ;  they  had  met  the  pikemen  of  Spain 
and  hurled  them  back  discomfited,  and  they  felt  that 
they  could  now  trust  themselves  to  meet  further  assaults 
without  flinching. 

To  Ned's  surprise  his  aunt,  when  the  alarm  bells 
rung,  had  sallied  out  from  her  house  accompanied  by 
the  two  girls.  She  carried  with  her  half  a  dozen  balls 
of  flax,  each  the  size  of  her  head.  These  had  been 
soaked  in  oil  and  turpentine,  and  to  each  a  stout  coid 
about  two  feet  long  was  attached.  The  girls  had  taken 
part  in  the  work  of  the  preceding  day,  but  when  she 
reached  the  breach  she  told  them  to  remain  in  shelter 
while  she  herself  joined  the  crowd  on  the  walls  flanking 
the  breach,  while  Ned  took  part  in  the  front  row  of  its 
defenders.  Frau  Plomaert  was  slow,  but  she  was  strong 
when  she  chose  to  exert  herself,  and  when  the  conflict 
was  at  its  thickest  she  lighted  the  balls  at  the  fires  over 
which  caldrons  of  oil  were  seething,  and  whirling  them 
round  her  head  sent  them  one  by  one  into  the  midst  of 
the  Spanish  column. 

"  Three  of  them  hit  men  fairly  in  the  face,"  she  said 
to  one  of  her  neighbors,  "  so  I  think  I  have  done  my 
share  of  to-day's  work." 

She  then  calmly  descended  the  wall,  joined  her  daugh- 
ters and  returned  home,  paying  no  attention  to  the  din 
of  the  conflict  at  the  breach,  and  contended  that  she 
had  done  all  that  could  be  expected  of  her.  On  reach- 
ing home  she  bade  the  girls  take  to  their  knitting  as 
usual,  while  she  set  herself  to  work  to  prepare  the  mid- 
day meal. 

A  few  days  later  the  Prince  of  Orange  sent  from  Sass- 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  259 

enheim,  a  place  on  the  southern  extremity  of  the  lake, 
where  he  had  now  taken  up  his  headquarters,  a  force  of 
two  thousand  men,  with  seven  guns  and  a  convoy  of 
wagons  with  ammunition  and  food  toward  the  town, 
under  General  Batenburgh.  This  officer  had  replaced 
De  la  Marck,  whose  brutal  and  ferocious  conduct  had 
long  disgraced  the  Dutch  cause,  and  whom  the  prince, 
finding  that  he  was  deaf  alike  to  his  orders  and  to  the 
dictates  of  humanity,  had  now  deprived  of  his  commis- 
sion. Batenburg's  expedition  was  no  more  fortunate 
than  that  of  De  la  Marck  had  been. 

On  his  approach  to  the  city  by  night  a  thick  mist  set 
in,  and  the  column  completely  lost  its  way.  The  citi- 
zens had  received  news  of  its  coming,  and  the  church 
bells  were  rung  and  cannon  fired  to  guide  it  as  to  its 
direction  ;  but  the  column  was  so  helplessly  lost,  that 
it  at  last  wandered  in  among  the  Spaniards,  who  fell 
upon  them,  slew  many  and  scattered  the  rest — a  very 
few  only  succeeding  in  entering  the  town.  Batenburg 
brought  oft,  under  cover  of  the  mist,  a  remnant  of  his 
troops,  but  all  the  provisions  and  ammunition  were  lost. 

The  second  in  command,  De  Koning,  was  among 
those  captured.  The  Spaniards  cut  off  his  head  and 
threw  it  over  the  wall  into  the  city,  with  a  paper  fasten- 
ed on  it  bearing  the  words :  "  This  is  the  head  of  Cap- 
tain De  Koning,  who  is  on  his  way  with  reinforcements 
for  the  good  city  of  Haarlem."  But  the  people  of 
Harlem  were  now  strung  up,  both  by  their  own  peril 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  atrocities  committed  by  the 
Spaniards  in  other  cities,  to  a  point  of  hatred  and  fury 
equal  to  that  of  the  foes,  and  they  retorted  by  chopping 
off  the  heads  of  eleven  prisoners  and  throwing  them 
into  the  Spanish  camp.  Tliere  was  a  label  on  the  barrel 
with  these  words,  "  Deliver  these  heads  to  Duke  Alva 


260  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

in  payment  of  his  tenpenny  tax,  with  one  additional 
head  for  interest." 

The  besieged  were  not  content  to  remain  shut  up  in 
the  walls,  but  frequently  sallied  out  and  engaged  in 
skirmishes  with  the  enemy.  Prisoners  were  therefore 
often  captured  by  one  side  or  the  other,  and  the  gibbets 
on  the  walls  and  in  the  camp  were  constantly  occupied. 

Ned  as  a  volunteer  was  not  attached  to  any  special 
body  of  troops,  Ripperda  telling  him  to  act  for  himself 
and  join  in  whatever  was  going  on  as  he  chose.  Conse- 
quently he  took  part  in  many  of  the  skirmishes  outside 
the  walls,  and  was  surprised  to  find  how  fearlessly  the 
burghera  met  the  tried  soldiers  of  Spain;  and  especially 
at  the  valor  with  which  the  corps  of  women  battled 
'with  the  enemy. 

In  strength  and  stature  most  of  the  women  were  fully 
a  match  for  the  Walloon  troops,  and  indeed  for  the  major- 
ity of  the  Spaniards ;  and  they  never  feared  to  engage 
any  body  of  troops  of  equal  numerical  strength, 

"  Look  here,  aunt,"  Ned  said  to  Fran  Plomaert  upon 
the  day  after  the  failure  of  Batenburg  's  force  to  relieve 
the  town,  "you  must  see  for  yourself  now  that  the 
chances  are  that  sooner  or  later  the  town  will  be  captured. 
We  may  beat  ofE  all  the  assaults  of  the  Spaniards,  but 
we  shall  ere  long  have  to  fight  with  an  even  more  for- 
midable foe  within  the  town.  You  know  that  our  stock 
of  provisions  is  small,  and  that  in  the  end  unless  help 
comes  we  must  yield  to  famine.  The  prince  may  pos- 
sibly throw  five  thousand  armed  men  into  the  town,  but 
it  is  absolutely  impossible  that  he  can  throw  in  any  great 
store  of  provisions,  unless  he  entirely  defeats  the  Span- 
iards ;  and  nowhere  in  Holland  can  he  raise  an  army  suf- 
ficient for  that. 

"  I  think,  aunt,  that  while  there  is  time  we  ought  to 


^T  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  ^61 

set  to  work  to  construct  a  hiding-place,  where  you  and 
the  girls  can  remain  while  the  sack  and  atrocities  that 
will  assuredly  follow  the  surrender  of  the  town  are  tak- 
ing place." 

"  I  shall  certainly  not  hide  myself  from  the  Spaniards," 
Frau  Plomaert  said  stoutly. 

"  Very  well,  aunt,  if  you  choose  to  be  killed  on  your 
own  hearthstone  of  course  I  cannot  prevent  it ;  but  I  do 
say  that  you  ought  to  save  the  girls  from  these  hori-ors 
if  you  can." 

"  That  I  am  ready  to  do,"  she  said.  *'  But  how  is  it 
to  be  managed  ?  " 

"  Well,  aunt,  there  is  your  wood-cellar  below.  We  can 
surely  construct  some  place  of  concealment  there.  Of 
coui-se  I  will  do  the  work,  though  the  girls  might  help 
by  bringing  up  baskets  of  earth  and  scattering  them  in 
the  streets."  Having  received  a  tacit  permission  from 
his  aunt,  Ned  went  down  into  the  wood-cellar,  which 
was  some  five  feet  wide  by  eight  feet  long.  Like  every 
place  about  a  Dutch  house  it  was  whitewashed,  and  was 
half  full  of  wood.  Ned  climbed  over  the  wood  to  the 
further  end. 

"  This  is  where  it  must  be,"  he  said  to  the  girls,  who 
had  followed  him.  "  Now,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  pile 
the  wood  so  as  to  leave  a  passage  by  which  we  can  pass 
along.  I  will  get  a  pick  and  get  out  the  bricks  at  this 
corner." 

"  We  need  only  make  a  hole  a  foot  wide,  and  it  need 
not  be  more  than  a  foot  high,"  Lucette,  the  elder,  said. 
"  That  will  be  sufficient  for  us  to  squeeze  through." 

"  It  would,  Lucette ;  but  we  shall  want  more  space  for 
working,  so  to  begin  with  we  will  take  away  the  bricks 
up  to  the  top.  We  can  close  it  up  as  much  as  we  like 
afterward.     There  is  plenty  of  time,  for  it  will  be  weeks 


^2  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

before  the  city  is  starved  out.  If  we  work  for  an  houi* 
a  day  we  can  get  it  done  in  a  week." 

Accordingly  the  work  began,  the  bricks  were  removed, 
and  with  a  pick  and  shovel  Ned  dug  into  the  ground  be- 
yond, while  the  girls  carried  away  the  earth  and  scat- 
tered it  in  the  road.  In  a  fortnight  a  chamber,  five  feet 
high,  three  feet  wide,  and  six  feet  long  had  been  exca- 
vated. Slats  of  wood,  supported  by  props  along  the  sides, 
held  up  the  roof.  A  quantity  of  straw  was  thrown  in 
for  the  girls  to  lie  on.  Fran  Plomaert  came  down  from 
time  to  time  to  inspect  the  progress  of  the  work,  and 
expressed  herself  well  pleased  with  it. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  close  the  entrance,  Ned  ?  "  she 
asked. 

"  I  propose  to  brick  it  up  again  three  feet  high,  aunt. 
Then  when  the  girls  and  you  have  gone  in — for  I  hope 
that  you  will  change  your  mind  at  the  last — I  will  brick 
up  the  rest  of  it,  but  using  mud  instead  of  mortar,  so 
that  the  bricks  can  be  easily  removed  when  the  time 
comes,  or  one  or  two  can  be  taken  out  to  pass  in  food ;  and 
then  replaced  as  before.  After  you  are  in  I  will  white- 
wash the  whole  cellar,  and  no  one  would  then  guess  the 
wall  had  ever  been  disturbed.  I  shall  leave  two  bricks 
out  in  the  bottom  row  of  all  to  give  air.  They  will  be  cov- 
ered over  by  the  wood.  However  hard  up  we  get  for  fuel 
we  can  leave  enough  to  cover  the  floor  at  that  end  a  few 
inches  deep.  If  I  can  I  will  pierce  a  hole  up  under  the 
boards  in  the  room  above  this,  so  as  to  give  a  free  pas- 
sage of  air." 

"  If  the  Spaniards  take  away  the  wood,  as  they  may 
well  do,  they  will  notice  that  the  two  bricks  are  gone," 
Mrs.  Plomaert  objected. 

"  We  can  provide  for  that,  aunt,  by  leaving  two  bricks 
inside,  whitewashed  like  the  rest,  to  push  into  the  holes 


BY  PtKE  AND  DYKE.  263 

if  you  hear  any  one  removing  the  wood.  There  is  only 
the  light  that  comes  in  at  the  door,  and  it  would  never 
be  noticed  that  the  two  bricks  were  loose." 

"  That  will  do  very  well,"  Mrs.  Plomaert  said.  "  I 
thought  at  first  that  your  idea  was  foolish,  but  I  see  that 
it  will  save  the  girls  if  the  place  is  taken.  I  suppose 
there  will  be  plenty  of  time  to  brick  them  up  after  they 
have  taken  refuge  in  it." 

"  Plenty  of  time,  aunt.  We  shall  know  days  before 
if  the  city  surrenders  to  hunger.  I  shall  certainly  fight 
much  more  comfortably  now  that  I  know  that,  whatever 
comes,  Lucette  and  Annie  are  safe  from  the  horrors  of 
the  sack." 


264  BY  PIKE  AlfD  DYKZ 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  PALL  OF  HAARLEM. 

After  the  terrible  repulse  inflicted  upon  the  storming 
party,  Don  Frederick  perceived  that  the  task  before 
him  was  not  to  be  accomplished  with  the  ease  and  rapid- 
ity he  had  anticipated,  and  that  these  hitherto  despised 
Dutch  heretics  had  at  last  been  driven  by  despair  to  fight 
with  a  desperate  determination  that  was  altogether  new 
to  the  Spaniards.  He  therefore  abandoned  the  idea  of 
carrying  the  place  by  assault,  and  determined  to  take  it 
by  the  slower  and  surer  process  of  a  regular  siege.  In 
a  week  his  pioneera  would  be  able  to  drive  mines  beneath 
the  walls ;  an  explosion  would  then  open  a  way  for  his 
troops.  Accordingly  the  work  began,  but  the  besieged 
no  sooner  perceived  what  was  being  done  than  the  thou- 
sand men  who  had  devoted  themselves  to  this  work  at 
once  began  to  drive  counter  mines. 

Both  parties  worked  with  energy,  audit  was  not  long 
before  the  galleries  met,  and  a  desperate  struggle  com- 
menced under  ground.  Here  the  drill  and  discipline  of 
the  Spaniards  availed  them  but  little.  It  was  a  conflict 
of  man  to  man  in  narrow  passages,  with  such  light  only 
as  a  few  torches  could  give.  Here  the  strength  and 
fearlessness  of  death  of  the  sturdy  Dutch  burghers  and 
fishermen  more  than  compensated  for  any  superiority  of 
the  Spaniards  in  the  management  of  their  weapons. 
The  air  was  so  heavy  and  thick  with  powder  that  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  265 

torches  gave  but  a  feeble  liglit,  and  the  combatants  were 
well-nigh  stifled  by  the  fumes  of  sulphur,  yet  in  the  gal- 
leries which  met  men  fought  night  and  day  without 
intermission.  The  places  of  those  who  retired  exhausted, 
or  fell  dead,  were  filled  by  others  impatiently  waiting 
their  turn  to  take  part  in  the  struggle.  While  the  fight- 
ing continued  the  work  went  on  also.  Fresh  galleries 
were  continually  being  driven  on  both  sides,  and  occa- 
sionally tremendous  explosions  took  place  as  one  party 
or  the  other  sprung  their  mines ;  the  shock  sometimes 
bringing  down  the  earth  in  passages  far  removed  from 
the  explosions,  and  burying  the  combatants  beneath 
them ;  while  yawning  pits  were  formed  where  the  explo- 
sions took  place,  and  fragments  of  bodies  cast  high  in 
the  air.  Many  of  the  galleries  were  so  narrow  and  low 
that  no  arms  save  daggers  could  be  used,  and  men  fought 
like  wild  beasts,  grappling  and  rolling  on  the  ground, 
while  comrades  with  lanterns  or  torches  stood  behind 
waiting  to  spring  upon  each  other  as  soon  as  the  strug- 
gle terminated  one  way  or  the  other. 

For  a  fortnight  this  underground  struggle  continued, 
and  then  Don  Frederick — finding  that  no  ground  was 
gained  and  that  the  loss  was  so  great  that  even  his 
bravest  soldiers  were  beginning  to  dread  their  turn  to 
enter  upon  a  conflict  in  which  their  military  training 
went  for  nothing,  and  where  so  many  hundreds  of  their 
comrades  had  perished — abandoned  all  hopes  of  spring- 
ing a  mine  under  the  walls,  and  drew  off  his  troops.  A 
month  had  already  elapsed  since  the  repulse  of  the  at- 
tack on  the  breach ;  and  while  the  fight  had  been  going 
on  underground  a  steady  fire  had  been  kept  up  against 
a  work  called  a  ravelin,  protecting  the  gate  of  the  Cross. 
During  this  time  letters  had  from  time  to  time  been 
brought  into  the  town  by  carrier-pigeons,   the  prince 


266  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

urging  the  citizens  to  persevere,  and  holding  out  hopes 
of  relief. 

These  promises  were  to  some  extent  fulfilled  on  the 
28th  of  January,  when  four  hundred  veteran  soldiers, 
bringing  with  them  one  hundred  and  seventy  sledges 
laden  with  powder  and  bread,  crossed  the  frozen  lake 
and  succeeded  in  making  their  way  into  the  city.  The 
time  was  now  at  hand  when  the  besieged  foresaw  that 
the  ravelin  of  the  Cross  gate  could  not  much  longer  be 
defended.  But  they  had  been  making  preparations  for 
this  contingency.  All  through  the  long  nights  of  Jan- 
uary, the  non-combatants,  old  men,  women  and  children, 
aided  by  such  of  the  fighting  men  as  were  not  worn  out 
by  their  work  on  the  walls  or  underground,  labored  to 
construct  a  wall  in  the  form  of  a  half  moon  on  the  in- 
side of  the  threatened  point.  None  who  were  able  to 
work  were  exempt,  and  none  wished  to  be  exempted, 
for  the  heroic  spirit  burned  brightly  in  every  heart  in 
Haarlem. 

Nightly  Ned  went  down  with  his  aunt  and  cousins 
and  worked  side  by  side  with  them.  The  houses  near 
the  new  work  were  all  leveled  in  order  that  the  mate- 
rials should  be  utilized  for  the  construction  of  the  wall, 
which  was  built  of  solid  masonry.  The  small  stones 
were  carried  by  the  children  and  younger  girls  in  bas- 
kets, the  heavier  ones  dragged  on  hand  sledges  by  the 
men  and  women.  Although  constitutionally  adverse  to 
exertion,  Frau  Plomaert  worked  sturdily,  and  Ned  was 
often  surprised  at  her  strength  ;  for  she  dragged  along 
without  difficulty  loaded  sledges  which  he  was  unable 
to  move,  throwing  her  weight  on  to  the  ropes  that 
passed  over  her  shoulders,  and  toiling  backward  and 
forward  to  and  from  the  wall  for  hours,  slowly  but  un- 
flinchingly. - 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  267 

It  seemed  to  Ned  that  under,  these  ^ertions  she  visi- 
bly decreased  in  weight  from  day  to  day,  and  indeed 
the  scanty  supply  of  food  upon  which  the  work  had  to 
be  done  was  ill  calculated  to  support  the  strength  of 
those  engaged  upon  such  fatiguing  labor.  For  from 
the  commencement  of  the  siege  the  whole  population 
had  been  rationed,  all  the  provisions  in  the  town  had 
been  handed  over  to  the  authorities  for  equal  division, 
and  every  house,  rich  and  poor,  had  been  rigorously 
searched  to  see  that  none  were  holding  back  supplies 
for  their  private  consumption.  Many  of  the  cattle  and 
horses  had  been  killed  and  salted  down,  and  a  daily 
distribution  of  food  was  made  to  each  household  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  mouths  it  contained. 

Furious  at  the  successful  manner  in  which  the  party 
had  entered  the  town  on  the  28th  of  January,  Don  Fred- 
erick kept  up  for  the  next  few  days  a  terrible  cannonade 
against  the  gates  of  the  Cross  and  of  St.  John,  and  the 
wall  connecting  them.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  wall 
was  greatly  shattered,  part  of  St.  John's  gate  was  in 
ruins ;  and  an  assault  was  ordered  to  take  place  at  mid- 
night. So  certain  was  he  of  success  that  Don  Frederick 
ordered  the  whole  of  his  forces  to  be  under  arms  opposite 
all  the  gates  of  the  city,  to  prevent  the  population  mak- 
ing their  escape.  A  chosen  body  of  troops  were  to  lead 
the  assault,  and  at  midnight  these  advanced  silently 
against  the  breach.  The  l)esieged  had  no  suspicion  that 
an  attack  was  intended,  and  there  were  but  some  forty 
men,  posted  rather  as  sentries  than  guards,  at  the  breach. 

These,  however,  when  the  Spaniards  advanced,  gave 
the  alarm,  the  watchers  in  the  churches  sounded  the 
tocsins,  and  the  sleeping  citizens  sprang  from  their 
beds,  seized  their  arms,  and  ran  toward  the  threatened 
point.     Unawed  by  the  overwhelming  force  advancing 


268  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

against  them  the  sentries  took  their  places  at  the  top  of 
the  breach,  and  defended  it  with  such  desperation  that 
they  kept  their  assaihmts  at  bay  until  assistance  arrived, 
when  the  struggle  assumed  a  more  equal  character. 
The  citizens  defended  themselves  by  the  same  means 
that  had  before  proved  successful,  boiling  oil  and  pitch, 
stones,  flaming  hoops,  torches,  and  missiles  of  all  kinds 
were  hurled  down  by  them  upon  the  Spaniards,  while 
the  garrison  defended  the  breach  with  sword  and 
pike. 

Until  daylight  the  struggle  continued,  and  Philip  then 
ordered  the  whole  of  his  force  to  advance  to  the  assistance 
of  the  storming  party.  A  tremendous  attack  was  made 
upon  the  ravelin  in  front  of  the  gate  of  the  Cross.  It  was 
successful,  and  the  Spaniards  rushed  exultingly  into  the 
work,  believing  that  the  city  was  now  at  their  mercy. 
Then,  to  their  astonishment,  they  saw  that  they  were 
confronted  by  the  new  wall,  whose  existence  they  had 
not  even  suspected.  While  they  were  hesitating  a  tre- 
mendous explosion  took  place.  The  citizens  had  under- 
mined the  ravelin  and  placed  a  store  of  powder  there ; 
and  this  was  now  fired  and  tlie  work  flew  i)ito  the  air, 
with  all  the  soldiers  who  had  entered. 

The  retreat  was  sounded  at  once,  and  the  Spaniards  fell 
back  to  their  camp,  and  thus  a  second  time  the  burghers 
of  Haarlem  repulsed  an  assault  by  an  overwhelming 
force  under  the  best  generals  of  Spain.  The  effect  of 
these  failures  was  so  great  that  Don  Frederick  resolved 
not  to  risk  another  defeat,. but  to  abandon  his  efforts  to 
capture  the  city  by  sap  or  assault,  and  to  resort  to  the 
slow  but  sure  process  of  famine.  He  was  well  aware 
that  the  stock  of  food  in  the  city  was  but  small  and  the 
inhabitaiiU  were  already  suffering  severely,  and  he 
thought  that  they  could  not  hold  out  much  longer. 


Bt  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  26^ 

But  greatly  as  the  inhabitants  suffered,  the  misery  of 
the  army  besieging  them  more  than  equaled  tlieir  own. 
The  intense  cold  rendered  it  next  to  impossible  to  sup- 
ply so  large  a  force  with  food,  and  small  as  were  the  ra- 
tions of  the  inhabitants,  they  were  at  least  as  large  and 
more  regularly  delivered  than  those  of  the  troops. 
Moreover,  the  citizens  who  were  not  on  duty  could 
retire  to  their  comfortable  houses ;  while  the  besiegers 
had  but  tents  to  shelter  them  from  the  severity  of  the 
frosts.  Cold  and  insufficient  food  brought  with  them 
a  train  of  disease,  and  great  numbers  of  the  soldiers 
died. 

The  cessation  of  the  assaults  tried  the  besieged  even 
more  than  their  daily  conflicts  had  done,  for  it  is  much 
harder  to  await  death  in  a  slow  and  tedious  form  than 
to  face  it  fighting.  They  could  now  fully  realize  the 
almost  hopeless  prospect.  Ere  long  the  frost  would  break 
up,  and  with  it  the  chance  of  obtaining  supplies  or 
reinforcements  across  the  frozen  lake  would  be  at  an 
end. 

It  was  here  alone  that  they  could  expect  succor,  for 
they  knew  well  enough  that  the  prince  could  raise  no 
army  capable  of  cutting  its  way  through  the  great  belea- 
guering force.  In  vain  did  they  attempt  to  provoke  or 
anger  the  Spaniards  into  renewing  their  attacks.  Sorties 
were  constantly  made-  The  citizens  gathered  on  the 
walls,  and  with  shouts  and  taunts  of  cowardice  chal- 
lenged the  Spaniards  to  come  on  ;  they  even  went  to  the 
length  of  dressing  themselves  in  the  vestments  of  the 
churches,  and  contemptuously  carrying  the  sacred  ves- 
sels in  procession,  in  hopes  of  infuriating  the  Spaniards 
into  an  attack.  But  Don  Frederick  and  his  generals 
were  not  to  be  moved  from  their  purpose. 

The  soldier's,   suffering   as  much  as   the  besiegei"s, 


270  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

would  gladly  have  brought  matters  to  an  issue  one  way 
or  the  other  by  again  assaulting  the  walls  ;  but  their 
officer's  restrained  them,  assuring  them  that  the  city 
could  not  hold  out  long,  and  that  they  would  have  an 
ample  revenge  when  the  time  came.  Life  in  the  city 
was  most  monotonous  now.  There  was  no  stir  of  life 
or  business  ;  no  one  bought  or  sold  ;  and  except  the 
men  who  went  to  take  their  turn  as  sentries  on  the  wall, 
or  the  women  who  fetched  the  daily  ration  for  the 
family  from  the  magazines,  there  was  no  occasion  to  go 
abroad.  Fuel  was  getting  very  scarce,  and  families 
clubbed  together  and  gathered  at  each  other's  houses 
by  turns,  so  that  one  fire  did  for  all. 

But  at  the  end  of  February  their  sufferings  from  cold 
came  to  an  end,  for  the  frost  suddenly  broke  up  ;  in  a 
few  da3's  the  ice  on  the  lake  disappeared,  and  spring  set 
in.  The  remaining  cattle  were  now  driven  out  into 
the  fields  under  the  walls  to  gather  food  for  themselves. 
Strong  guards  went  with  them,  and  whenever  the 
Spaniards  endeavored  to  come  down  and  drive  them  off, 
the  citizens  flocked  out  and  fought  so  desperately  that  the 
Spaniards  ceased  to  molest  them  ;  for  as  one  of  those 
present  wrote,  each  captured  bullock  cost  the  lives  of 
at  least  a  dozen  soldiers. 

Don  Frederick  himself  had  long  since  become  heartily 
weary  of  the  siege,  in  which  there  was  no  honor  to  be 
gained,  and  which  had  already  cost  the  lives  of  so  large 
a  number  of  his  best  soldiers.  It  did  not  seem  to  him 
that  the  capture  of  a  weak  city  was  worth  the  price  that 
had  to  be  paid  for  it,  and  he  wrote  to  his  father  urg- 
ing his  views,  and  asking  permission  to  raise  the  siege. 
But  the  duke  thought  differently,  and  despatched  an 
officer  to  his  son  with  this  message  :  "  Tell  Don  Fred- 
erick that  if  he  be  not  decided  to  continue  the  siege 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  271 

until  the  town  be  taken,  I  shall  no  longer  consider  him 
ray  son.  Should  he  fall  in  the  siege  I  will  myself  take 
the  field  to  maintain  it,  and  when  we  have  both  perished, 
the  duchess,  my  wife,  shall  come  from  Spain  to  do  the 
same." 

Inflamed  by  this  reply  Don  Frederick  recommenced 
active  operations,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  besieged. 
The  batteries  were  reopened,  and  daily  contests  took 
place.  One  night  under  cover  of  a  fog,  a  party  of  the 
besieged  marched  up  to  tlie  principal  Spanish  battery 
and  attempted  to  spike  the  guns.  Every  one  of  them 
was  killed  round  the  battery,  not  one  turning  to  fly. 
"  The  citizens,"  wrote  Don  Frederick,  "  do  as  much  as 
the  best  soldiers  in  the  world  could  do." 

As  soon  as  the  frost  broke  up  Count  Bossu,  who  had 
been  building  a  fleet  of  small  vessels  in  Amsterdam, 
cut  a  breach  through  the  dyke  and  entered  the  lake, 
thus  entirely  cutting  off  communications.  The  Prince 
of  Orange  on  his  part  was  building  ships  at  the  other  end 
of  the  lake,  and  was  doing  all  in  his  power  for  the  relief 
of  the  city.  He  was  anxiously  waiting  the  arrival  of 
troops  from  Germany  or  France,  and  doing  his  best  with 
such  volunteers  as  he  could  raise.  These,  however,  were 
not  numerous,  for  the  Dutch,  although  ready  to  fight 
to  the  death  for  the  defense  of  their  own  cities  and 
families  had  not  yet  acquired  a  national  spirit,  and  all 
the  efforts  of  the  prince  failed  to  induce  them  to  com^ 
bine  for  any  general  object. 

His  principal  aim  now  was  to  cut  the  road  along  the 
dyke  which  connected  Amsterdam  with  the  country 
.round  it.  Could  he  succeed  in  doing  this,  Amsterdam 
would  be  as  completely  cut  off  as  was  Haarlem,  and  that 
city  as  well  as  the  Spanish  army,  would  speedily  be 
starved  out,  Alva  himself  w?is  fully  aware  of  this  danger. 


272  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

and  wrote  to  the  king :  "  Since  I  came  into  this  world  I 
have  never  been  in  such  anxiety.  If  they  should  succeed 
in  cutting  off  communication  along  the  dykes  we  should 
have  to  raise  the  siege  of  Haarlem,  to  surrender,  hands 
crossed,  or  to  starve." 

The  prince,  unable  to  gather  sufficient  men  for  this 
attempt,  sent  orders  to  Sonoy,  who  commanded  the  small 
army  in  the  north  of  Holland,  to  attack  tlie  dyke  be- 
tween the  Diemar  Lake  and  the  Y,  to  open  the  sluices, 
and  break  through  the  dyke,  by  which  means  much  of 
the  country  round  Haarlem  would  be  flooded.  Sonoy 
crossed  the  Y  in  boats,  seized  the  dyke,  opened  the  sluices 
and  began  the  work  of  cutting  it  through.  Leaving 
his  men  so  engaged,  Sonoy  went  to  Edam  to  fetch  up 
reinforcements.  While  he  was  away  a  large  force  from 
Amsterdam  came  up,  some  marching  along  the  cause- 
way and  some  in  boats.  A  fierce  contest  took  place, 
the  contending  parties  fighting  partly  in  boats,  partly 
on  the  slippery  causeway,  that  was  wide  enough  but 
for  two  men  to  stand  abreast,  partly  in  the  water.  But 
the  number  of  the  assailants  was  too  great,  and  the 
Dutch,  after  fighting  gallantly,  lost  heart  and  retired 
just  as  Sonoy,  whose  volunteers  from  Edam  liad  refused 
to  follow  him,  arrived  alone  in  a  little  boat.  He  tried 
in  vain  to  rally  them,  but  was  swept  away  by  the  rush 
of  fugitives,  many  of  whom  were,  however,  able  to  gain 
their  boats  and  make  their  retreat,  thanks  to  the  valor 
of  John  Haring  of  Horn,  who  took  his  station  on  the 
dyke,  and  armed  with  sword  and  shield,  actually  kept 
in  check  a  thousand  of  the  enemy  for  a  time  long  enough 
to  have  enabled  the  Dutch  to  rally  had  they  been  dis- 
posed to  do  so.  But  it  was  too  late ;  and  they  had  enough 
of  fighting.  However,  he  held  his  post  until  many  had 
made  good  their  retreat,  and  then,  plunging  into  the  sea 


ST  PIKE  AND  DYKE,  278 

swam  off  to  the  boats  and  effected  his  escape.  A  braver 
feat  of  arms  was  never  accomplished. 

Some  hundreds  of  the  Dutch  were  killed  or  captured 
All  the  prisoners  were  taken  to  the  gibbets  in  the  front 
of  Harlem,  and  hung,  some  by  the  neck  and  some  by  the 
heels,  in  view  of  their  countrj^men,  while  the  head  of  one 
of  their  officers  was  thrown  into  the  city.  As  usual 
this  act  of  ferocity  excited  the  citizens  to  similar  acts. 
Two  of  the  old  board  of  magistrates  belonging  to  the 
Spanish  party,  with  several  other  persons,  were  hung, 
and  the  wife  and  daughter  of  one  of  them  hunted  into 
the  water  and  drowned. 

In  the  words  of  an  historian,  "  Every  man  within 
and  without  Haarlem  seemed  inspired  by  a  spirit  of 
special  and  personal  vengeance."  Many,  however,  of 
the  more  gentle  spirits  were  filled  with  horror  at  these 
barbarities  and  the  perpetual  carnage  going  on.  Cap- 
tain Curey,  for  example,  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  garri- 
son, who  had  been  driven  to  take  up  arms  by  the  suffer- 
ings of  his  countrymen,  although  he  had  naturally  a 
horror  of  bloodshed,  was  subject  to  fits  of  melancholy  at 
the  contemplation  of  these  horrors.  Brave  in  the  ex- 
treme, he  led  his  men  in  ever}'  sortie,  in  every  desperate 
struggle.  Fighting  without  defensive  armor  he  was 
always  in  the  thick  of  the  battle,  and  many  of  the  Span- 
iards fell  before  his  sword.  On  his  return  he  invariably 
took  to  his  bed,lrjid  lay  ill  from  remorse  and  compunc- 
tion till  a  fresh  summons  for  action  arrived,  when,  seized 
by  a  sort  of  frenzy,  he  rose  and  led  his  men  to  fresh 
conflicts.  ' 

On  the  25th  of  March  a  sally  was  made  by  a  thousand 
of  the  besieged.  They  drove  in  all  the  Spanish  outposts, 
killed  eight  hundred  of  the  enemy,  burnt  three  hundred 
tents,  and  captured  seven  cannons,  nine  standards,  and 


St4  BT  PI^H  ANb  DYKS. 

many  wagon  loads  of  provisions,  all  of  which  they  sti6* 
ceeded  in  bringing  into  the  city. 

The  Duke  of  Alva,  who  had  gone  through  nearly  sixty 
years  of  warfare,  wrote  to  the  king  that  "  never  was  a 
place  defended  with  such  skill  and  bravery  as  Haarlem," 
and  that  "  it  was  a  war  such  as  never  l)efore  was  seen  or 
heard  of  in  any  land  on  earth."  Three  veteran  Spanish 
regiments  now  reinforced  the  besiegers,  having  been 
Bent  from  Italy  to  aid  in  overcoming  the  obstinate  resist- 
ance of  the  city.  But  the  interest  of  the  inhabitants 
was  now  centered  rather  on  the  lake  than  upon  the 
Spanish  camp.  It  was  from  this  alone  that  they  could 
expect  succor,  and  it  now  swarmed  with  the  Dutch 
and  Spanish  vessels,  between  whom  there  were  daily 
contests. 

On  the  28th  of  May  the  two  fleets  met  in  desperate 
fight.  Admiral  Bossu  had  a  hundred  ships,  most  of  con- 
siderable size.  Martin  Brand,  who  commanded  the 
Dutch,  had  a  hundred  and  fifty,  but  of  much  smaller  size. 
The  ships  Tappled  with  each  other,  and  for  hours  a 
furious  contest  raged.  Several  thousands  of  men  were 
killed  on  both  sides,  but  at  length  weight  prevailed  and 
the  victory  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  Spaniards. 
Twenty-two  of  the  Dutch  vessels  were  captured  and  the 
rest  routed.  The  Spanish  fleet  now  sailed  toward 
Haarlem,  landed  their  crews,  and  joined  by  a  force  from 
the  army,  captured  the  forts  the  Dutch  had  erected 
and  had  hitherto  held  on  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and 
through  which  their  scanty  supplies  had  hitherto  been 
received.    • 

From  the  walls  of  the  city  the  inhabitants  watched 
the  conflict,  and  a  wail  of  despair  rose  from  them  as  they 
saw  its  issue.  They  were  now  entirely  cut  off  from  all 
hope  of  succor,  and  their  fate  appeared  to  be  sealed. 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  2t6 

Nevertheless  they  managed  to  send  a  message  to  the 
prince  that  they  would  hold  out  for  three  weeks  longer 
in  hopes  that  he  might  devise  some  plan  for  their  relief, 
and  carrier  pigeons  brought  back  word  that  another 
effort  should  be  made  to  save  them.  But  by  this  time 
the  magazines  were  empty.  Hitherto  one  pound  of  bread 
had  been  served  out  daily  to  each  man  and  half  a  pound 
to  each  woman,  and  on  this  alone  they  had  for  many 
weeks  subsisted  ;  but  the  flour  was  now  exhausted,  and 
henceforth  it  was  a  battle  Avith  starvation. 

Every  living  creature  that  could  be  used  as  food  was 
slain  and  eaten.  Grass  and  herbage  of  all  kinds  were 
gathered  and  cooked  for  food,  and  under  cover  of  dark- 
ness parties  sallied  out  from  the  gates  to  gather  grass  in 
the  fields.  The  sufferings  of  the  besieged  were  terrible. 
So  much  were  they  reduced  by  weakness  that  they  could 
scarce  drag  themselves  along  the  streets,  and  numbers 
died  from  famine. 

During  the  time  that  the  supply  of  bread  was  served 
out  Ned  had  persuaded  his  aunt  and  the  girls  to  put  by 
a  morsel  of  their  food  each  day. 

"It  will  be  the  only  resource  when  the  city  sur- 
renders," he  said.  "  For  four  or  five  days  at  least  the 
girls  must  remain  concealed,  and  dnring  that  time  they 
must  be  fed.  If  they  take  in  with  them  a  jar  of  water 
and  a  supply  of  those  crusts,  which  they  can  eat  soaked 
in  the  water,  they  can  maintain  life." 

And  so  each  day,  as  long  as  the  bread  lasted,  a  small 
piece  was  put  aside  until  a  sufficient  store  was  accumu- 
lated to  last  the  two  girls  for  a  week.  Soon  after  the 
daily  issue  ceased  Frau  Plomaert  placed  the  bag  of 
crusts  into  Ned's  hands. 

"  Take  it  away  and  hide  it  somewhere,"she  said,  "  and 
do  not  let  me  know  where  you  have  put  it,  or  we  shall 


276  BT  PIKE  AND  BYKt!. 

assuredly  break  into  it  and  use  it  before  the  time  comes. 
I  do  not  think  now  that,  however  great  the  pressure,  we 
would  touch  those  crusts ;  but  there  is  no  saying  what 
we  may  do  when  we  are  gnawed  by  hunger.  It  is  better 
anyhow,  to  put  ourselves  out  of  the  way  of  temptation." 

During  the  long  weeks  of  June  Ned  found  it  hard  to 
keep  the  precious  store  untouched.  His  aunt's  figure 
had  shrunk  to  a  shadow  of  her  former  self,  and  she  was 
scarce  able  to  cross  the  room.  The  girls'  clieeks  were 
hollow  and  bloodless  with  famine,  and  although  none 
of  them  ever  asked  him  to  break  in  upon  the  store,  their 
faces  pleaded  more  powerfully  than  any  words  could 
have  done  ,  and  yet  they  were  better  off  than  many,  for 
every  night  Ned  either  went  out  from  the  gates  or  let 
himself  down  by  a  rope  from  the  wall  and  returned  with 
a  supply  of  grass  and  herbage. 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  girls  that  there  was  no  neces- 
sity to  go  out  of  doors,  for  the  sights  there  would  have 
shaken  the  strongest.  Men,  women,  and  children  fell 
dead  by  scores  in  the  streets,  and  the  survivora  had 
neither  strength  nor  heart  to  carry  them  away  and 
bury  them.  On  the  1st  of  July  the  burghers  hung  out 
flag  of  truce,  and  deputies  went  out  to  confer  with 
Don  Frederick.  The  latter,  however,  would  grant  no 
terms  whatever,  and  they  returned  to  the  city.  Two 
days  later  a  tremendous  cannonade  was  opened  upon  the 
town,  and  the  walls  broken  down  in  several  places,  but 
the  Spaniards  did  not  advance  to  the  assault,  knowing 
that  the  town  could  not  hold  out  many  days  longer. 

Two  more  parleys  were  held,  but  without  result,  and 
the  black  flag  was  hoisted  upon  the  cathedral  tower  as 
a  signal  of  despair  ;  but  soon  afterward  a  pigeon  flew 
into  the  town  with  a  letter  from  the  prince,  begging 
them  to  hold  out  for  two  daj^s  longer,  as  succor  was  ap- 


JBF  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  277 

preaching.  The  prince' h«td" indeed  done  all  that  was 
possible.  He  assembled  the  citizens  of  Delft  in  the 
market-place,  and  said  that  if  any  troops  could  be  gath- 
red  he  would  march  in  person  at  their  head  to  the  relief 
of  the  city.  There  were  no  soldiers  to  be  obtained  ;  but 
four  thousand  armed  volunteers  from  the  various  Dutch 
cities  assembled,  and  six  hundred  mounted  troops.  The 
prince  placed  himself  at  their  head,  but  the  magistrates 
and  burghers  of  the  towns  would  not  allow  him  to 
hazard  a  life  so  indispensable  to  the  existence  of  Hol- 
land, and  the  troops  themselves  refused'  to  march  unless 
he  abandoned  his  intention.  He  at  last  reluctantly 
consented,  and  handed  over  the  command  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  Baron  Batenburg. 

On  the  8th  of  July  at  dusk  the  expedition  set  out  from 
Sassenheim,  taking  with  them  four  hundred  wagon  loads 
of  provisions  and  seven  cannon.  They  halted  in  the 
woods,  and  remained  till  midnight.  Then  they  again 
marched  forward,  hoping  to  be  able  to  surprise  the  Span 
iards  and  make  their  way  through  before  these  could 
assemble  in  force.  The  agreement  had  been  made  that 
signal  fires  should  be  lighted  and  that  the  citizens 
should  sally  out  to  assist  the  relieving  force  as  it  ap- 
proached. Unfortunately  two  pigeons  with  letters 
giving  the  details  of  the  intended  expedition  had  been 
shot  while  passing  over  the  Spanish  camp,  and  the  be- 
siegers were  perfectly  aware  of  what  was  going  to  be 
done.  Opposite  the  point  at  which  the  besieged  were 
to  sally  out  the  Spaniards  collected  a  great  mass  of 
green  branches,  pitch,  and  straw.  Five  thousand  troops 
were  stationed  behind  it,  while  an  overwhelming  force 
wds  stationed  to  attack  the  relieving  army. 

When  night  fell  the  pile  of  combustibles  was  lighted, 
and  gave  out  so  d^nse  a  smoke  that  the  signal  fires  lighted 


278  ,  Bt  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

by  Batenburg  were  hidden  from  the  townspeople.  As 
soon  as  the  column  advanced  from  the  wood  they  were 
attacked  by  an  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy.  Baten- 
burg was  killed  and  his  troops  utterly  routed,  with  the 
loss,  according  to  the  Dutch  accounts,  of  from  five  to  six 
hundred,  but  of  many  more  according  to  Spanish  state- 
ments. The  besieged,  ranged  under  arms,  heard  the 
sound  of  the  distant  conflict,  but  as  they  had  seen  no  sig- 
nal fires  believed  that  it  was  only  a  device  of  the  Span- 
iards to  tempt  them  into  making  a  sally,  and  it  was  not 
until  morning  when  Don  Frederick  sent  in  a  prisoner 
with  his  nose  and  ears  cut  off  to  announce  the  news, 
that  they  knew  that  the  last  effort  to  save  them  had 
failed. 

The  blow  was  a  terrible  one,  and  there  was  great  com- 
motion in  the  town.  After  consultation  the  garrison 
and  the  able-bodied  citizens  resolved  to  issue  out  in  a 
solid  column,  and  to  cut  their  way  through  the  enemy 
or  perish.  It  was  thought  that  if  the  women,  the  help- 
less, and  infirm  alone  remained  in  the  city  they  would  be 
treated  with  greater  mercy  after  all  the  fighting  men 
had  been  slain.  But  as  soon  as  this  resolution  became 
known  the  women  and  children  isued  from  the  houses 
with  loud  cries  and  tears.  The  burghers  were  unable 
to  withstand  their  entreaties  that  all  should  die  together. 
and  it  was  then  resolved  that  the  fighting  men  should  be 
formed  into  a  hollow  square,  in  which  the  women,  chil- 
dren, sick,  and  aged  should  be  gathered,  and  so  to  sally 
out,  and  either  win  a  way  through  the  camp  or  die 
together. 

But  the  news  of  this  resolve  reached  the  ears  of  Don 
Frederick.  He  knew  now  what  the  burghers  of  Haarlem 
were  capable  of,  and  thought  that  they  would  probably 
fire  the  city  before  they  left,  and  thus  leave  nothing  but 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  279 

a  heap  of  ashes  as  a  trophy  of  his  victory.  He  therefore 
sent  a  letter  to  the  magistrates,  in  the  name  of  Count 
Overstein,  commander  of  the  German  forces  in  the  besieg- 
ing army,  giving  a  solemn  assurance  that  if  they  surren- 
dered at  discretion  no  punishment  should  be  inflicted 
except  upon  those  who,  in  the  judgment  of  the  citizens 
themselves,  had  deserved  it. 

At  the  moment  of  sending  the  letter  Don  Frederick 
was  in  possession  of  strict  orders  from  his  father  not  to 
leave  a  man  alive  of  the  garrison,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Germans,  and  to  execute  a  large  number  of  .the 
burghera.  On  the  receipt  of  this  letter  the  city  formally 
surrendered  on  the  10th  of  July.  The  great  bell  was 
tolled,  and  orders  were  issued  that  all  arms  should  be 
brought  to  the  town  hall,  that  the  women  should  assemble 
in  the  cathedral  and  the  men  in  the  cloister  of  Zyl. 
Then  Don  Frederick  with  his  staff  rode  into  the  city. 
The  scene  which  met  their  eyes  was  a  terrible  one. 
Everywhere  were  ruins  of  houses  which  had  been  set  on 
fire  by  the  Spanish  artillery,  the  pavement  had  been  torn 
up  to  repair  the  gaps  in  the  walls,  unburied  bodies  of 
men  and  women  were  scattered  about  the  streets,  while 
those  still  alive  were  mere  shadows  scarcely  able  to 
maintain  their  feet. 

No  time  was  lost  in  commencing  the  massacre.  All 
the  officers  were  at  once  put  to  death.  The  garrison 
had  been  reduced  during  the  siege  from  four  thousand 
to  eighteen  hundred.  Of  these  the  Germans— six  hundred 
in  number — ^were  allowed  to  depart.  The  remaining 
twelve  hundred  were  immediately  butchered,  with  at 
least  as  many  of  the  citizens.  Almost  every  citizen 
distinguished  by  service,  station  or  wealth  was  slaugh- 
tered, and  from  day  to  day  five  executioners  were  kept 
constantly  at  work.    The  city  was  hot  sacked,  the  in- 


280  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

habitants  agreeing  to  raise  a  great  sum  of  money  as  a 
ransom. 

As  soon  as  the  surrender  was  determined  upon,  Ned 
helped  his  cousins  into  the  refuge  prepared  for  them, 
passed  in  the  bread  and  water,  walled  up  the  hole  and 
whitewashed  it,  his  aunt  being  too  weak  to  render  any 
assistance.  Before  they  entered  he  opened  the  bag  and 
took  out  a  few  crusts. 

"  You  must  eat  something  now,  aunt,"  he  said.  "  It 
may  be  a  day  or  two  before  any  food  is  distributed,  and 
it  is  no  use  holding  on  so  long  to  die  of  hunger  when 
food  is  almost  in  sight.  There  is  plenty  in  the  bag  to 
last  the  girls  for  a  week.  You  must  eatsparingly,  girls, 
— not  because  there  is  not  enough  food,  but  because  after 
fasting  so  long  it  is  necessary  for  you  at  first  to  take  food 
in  very  small  quantities." 

The  bread  taken  out  was  soaked,  and  it  swelled  so 
much  in  the  water  that  it  made  much  more  than  he  had 
expected.  He  therefore  divided  it  in  half,  and  a  portion 
made  an  excellent  meal  for  Ned  and  his  aunt,  the  re- 
maining being  carefully  put  by  for  the  following  day. 

An  hour  or  two  after  eating  the  meal  Frau  Plomaert 
felt  so  much  stronger  that  she  was  able  to  obey  the  order 
to  go  up  to  the  cathedi-al.  Ned  went  with  the  able-bodied 
men  to  the  oloister.  The  Spaniards  soon  came  among 
them,  and  dragged  off  numbers  of  those  whom  they 
thought  most  likely  to  have  taken  a  prominent  part  in 
the  ..^  fiting,  to  execution.  As  they  did  not  wish  others 
from  whom  money  could  be  wrung  to  escape  from  their 
hands,  they  presently  issued  some  food  to  the  remainder. 
The  women,  after  remaining  for  some  hours  in  the  cath- 
edral, were  suffered  to  depart  to  their  homes,  for  their 
starving  condition  excited  the  compassion  even  of  the 
Spaniards ;  and  the  atrocities  which  had  taken  place  at 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKK  281 

the  sacks  of  Mechlin,  Zutphen  and  Naarden,  were  not 
repeated  in  Haarlem. 

The  next  day  the  men  were  also  released;  not  from 
any  ideas  of  mercy,  but  in  order  that  when  they  returned 
to  their  homes  the  work  of  picking  out  the  better  class 
for  execution  could  be  the  more  easily  carried  on.  For 
three  days  longer  the  girls  remained  in  their  hiding,  and 
were  then  allowed  to  come  out,  as  Ned  felt  now  that 
the  danger  of  a  general  massacre  was  averted. 

"  Now,  Ned,"  his  aunt  said,  "  you  must  stay  here  no 
longer.  Every  day  we  hear  proclamations  read  in  the 
streets  that  all  sheltering  refugees  and  others  not  belong- 
ing to  the  town  will  be  punished  with  death ;  and.  as 
you  know,  every  stranger  caught  has  been  murdered." 

This  they  had  heard  from  some  of  the  neighbors. 
Ned  himself  had  not  stirred  out  since  he  returned  from 
the  cloisters ;  for  his  aunt  had  implored  him  not  to  do 
so,  as  it  would  only  be  running  useless  risk. 

"  I  hear,"  she  went  on, "  that  they  have  searched  many 
houses  for  fugitives  and  it  is  probable  the  hunt  may  be- 
come even  more  strict ;  therefore  I  think,  Ned,  that  for 
our  sake  as  well  as  your  own  you  had  better  try  to  es- 
cape." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  aunt.  Now  that  the  worst 
is  over,  and  I  know  that  you  and  the  girls  are  safe,  no 
good  purpose  could  be  served  by  my  staying ;  and  being 
both  a  stranger  and  one  who  has  fought  here,  I  should 
certainly  be  killed  if  they  laid  hands  on  me.  As  to  es- 
caping, I  do  not  think  theie  can  be  any  difficulty  about 
that.  I  have  often  let  myself  down  from  the  walls, 
and  can  do  so  again  ;  and  although  there  is  a  strict  watch 
kept  at  the  gates  to  prevent  any  from  leaving  until  the 
Spaniards'  thirst  for  blood  is  satisfied,  there  can  be  no 
longer  any  vigilant  watch  kept  up  by  the   troops  en- 


282  BT  PiKtS  AND  DYKE. 

camped  outside,  and  I  ought  certainly  to  be  able  to  get 
through  them  at  night.  It  will  be  dark  in  a  couple  of 
hours,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  so  I  will  be  off." 

The  girls  burst  into  tears  at  the  thought  of  Ned's  de- 
parture. During  the  seven  long  months  the  siege  had 
lasted  he  had  been  as  a  brother  to  them — keeping  up 
their  spirits  by  his  cheerfulness,  looking  after  their  safety 
and  as  far  as  possible  after  their  comfort,  and  acting  as 
the  adviser  and  almost  as  the  head  of  the  house.  His 
aunt  was  almost  equally  affected,  for  she  had  come  to 
lean  entirely  upon  him  and  to  regard  him  as  a  son. 

"  It  is  best  that  it  should  be  so,  Ned  ;  but  we  shall  all 
miss  you  sorely.  It  may  be  that  I  shall  follow  your 
advice  and  come  over  to  England  on  a  long  visit.  Now 
that  I  know  you  so  well  it  will  not  seem  like  going  among 
strangers,  as  it  did  before;  for  although  I  met  your 
father  and  mother  whenever  they  came  over  to  Vordwyk, 
I  had  not  got  to  know  them  as  I  know  you.  I  shall  talk 
the  matter  over  with  my  father.  Of  course  everything 
depends  upon  what  is  going  to  happen  in  Holland." 

Ned  did  not  tell  his  aunt  that  his  father  had  been  one 
of  the  first  dragged  out  from  the  cloisters  for  execution, 
and  that  her  sister,  who  kept  house  for  him,  had  died 
three  days  previous  to  the  surrender.  His  going  away 
was  grief  enough  for  her  for  one  day,  and  he  turned  the 
conversation  to  other  matters  until  night  fell,  when,  after 
a  sad  parting  he  made  his  way  to  the  walls,  having  wound 
round  his  waist  the  rope  by  which  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  lower  himself. 

The  executions  in  Haarlem  continued  for  two  days 
after  he  had  left,  and  then  the  five  executioners  were  so 
■weary  of  slaying  that  the  three  hundred  prisoners  who 
still  remained  for  execution  were  tied  back  to  back  and 
thrown  into  the  lake. 


£Y  FIKE  A£ID  DYKE,  28B 


CHAPTER  XV. 


NED  RECEIVES  PROMOTION, 


It  was  fortunate  for  Ned  that  the  watch  round  the 
city  had  relaxed  greatly  when  he  started  from  it.  The 
soldiers  were  discontented  at  the  arrangement  that  had 
been  made  for  the  city  to  pay  an  immense  sum  of  money  to 
escape  a  general  sack.  They  were  all  many  months  in 
arrear  of  their  pay.  They  had  suffered  during  the  siege 
and  they  now  considered  themselves  to  be  cheated  of 
their  fair  reward.  The  sum  paid  by  the  city  would  go 
into  the  hands  of  the  duke ;  and  although  the  soldiers 
were  promised  a  share  of  the  prize-money,  the  duke's 
necessities  were  so  great  that  it  was  probable  little  of 
the  money  would  find  its  way  into  the  hands  of  the 
troops. 

A  sack  upon  the  other  hand  was  looked  upon  as  a 
glorious  lottery.  Every  one  was  sure  to  gain  something. 
Many  would  obtain  most  valuable  prizes  of  money  or 
jewelry.  No  sooner,  therefore,  had  Haarlem  surrendered 
than  a  mutinous  spirit  began  to  show  itself  among  the 
troops  ;  they  became  slack  in  obeying  the  orders  of  their 
officers,  refused  to  perform  their  duties  and  either  gath- 
ered in  bodies  to  discuss  their  wrongs  or  sulked  in  their 
tents.  Thus  the  work  of  keeping  a  vigilant  watch  round 
the  walls  by  night,  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  victims 
selected  to  satiate  the  vengeance  of  Don  Frederick, 
was  greatly  relaxed. 

After  lowering  himself  from  the  walls  Ned  proceeded 


284  ^T  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

with  great  caution.  On  reaching  the  spot  where  he  ex- 
pected to  meet  with  a  cordon  of  sentries,  he  was  sur- 
prised at  finding  everything  still  and  quiet.  Unaware 
of  the  state  of  things  in  the  camp,  and  suspecting  that 
some  device  had  perhaps  been  hit  upon  with  the  view  of 
inducing  men  to  try  to  escape  from  the  city,  he  redoubled 
his  precautions,  stopping  every  few  paces  to  listen  for 
the  calls  of  the  sentries,  or  a  heavy  tread  or  the  clash  of 
arms.  All  was  silent,  and  he  continued  his  coui-se  until 
close  to  the  camps  of  some  of  the  German  regiments. 
Incredible  as  it  seemed  to  him,  it  was  now  evident  that 
no  sentries  had  been  posted.  He  saw  great  fires  blazing 
in  the  camps,  and  a  large  number  of  men  standing  near 
one  of  them ;  they  were  being  addressed  by  a  soldier 
standing  upon  a  barrel. 

Keeping  in  the  shadow  of  the  tents,  Ned  made  his  way 
close  up  to  the  group,  and  the  similarity  of  the  German 
language  to  the  Dutch  enabled  him  to  gather  without 
difficulty  the  meaning  of  the  speaker's  words.  He  was 
recounting  to  the  soldiers  the  numberless  toils  and  hard- 
ships through  which  they  had  passed  in  the  service  of 
Spain,  and  the  ingratitude  with  which  they  were  treated. 

"  They  pretend  they  have  no  money ! "  he  exclaimed, 
"  it  is  not  true.  Spain  has  the  wealth  of  the  Indies  at 
her  back,  and  yet  she  grudges  us  our  pay  for  the  services 
we  have  faithfully  rendered  her.  Why  should  we  throw 
away  our  lives  for  Spain  ?  What  do  we  care  whether 
she  is  mistress  of  this  wretched  country  or  not  ?  Let  us 
resolve,  brethren,  to  be  moved  neither  by  entreaties  nor 
threats,  but  to  remain  fast  to  the  oath  we  and  our  Spanish 
comrades  have  sworn,  that  we  will  neither  march  a  foot 
nor  lift  an  arm  until  we  have  received  our  pay ;  and  not 
only  our  pay,  but  our  share  of  the  booty  they  have  stolen 
from  us." 


P.&D. 


Ned  overhears  the  Mutineers.— Page  284. 


br  PiS:f  ai^d  Dyk^,  285 

The  shouts  of  approval  that  greeted  the  speech  showed 
that  the  speaker's  audience  was  thoroughly  in  accord 
with  him.  Ned  waited  to  hear  no  further  orations,  he 
understood  now  the  withdrawal  of  the  sentries.  It  was 
another  of  the  mutinies  that  had  so  frequently  broken 
out  among  the  Spanish  forces  in  the  Netherlands.  Mak- 
ing his  way  out  through  the  other  side  of  the  camp  he 
proceeded  on  his  journey.  The  news  was  important, 
for  if  the  mutiny  continued  it  would  give  the  Prince  of 
Orange  time  to  prepare  for  the  forward  march  of  the 
enemy.  He  passed  several  other  camps,  but  observed 
everywhere  the  same  slackness  of  discipline  and  the 
absence  of  military  precaution. 

All  night  he  pushed  forward  without  stopping,  and 
as  soon  as  the  gates  of  Ley  den  were  opened  he  entered. 
Upon  inquiring  he  found  that  the  prince  was  at  Delft, 
and  hiring  a  horse  he  at  once  rode  there.  The  prince 
received  him  with  real  pleasure. 

"  And  so  you  have  escaped  safe  and  sound  from  the 
siege,  Master  Martin  ?  Truly  your  good  fortune  is  won- 
derful. I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  you.  Tell  me  how  goes 
it  in  Haarlem.  Rumors  reached  me  that  there,  as  at 
other  towns,  they  have  broken  their  oaths,  and  are  mas- 
sacring the  whole  population." 

"  It  is  not  so  bad  as  that,  sir,"  Ned  replied.  "  They 
put  to  death  numbers  of  the  principal  citizens  and  all 
refugees  they  could  discover  in  the  city,  but  there  has 
been  no  regular  sack.  The  women  have  not  been  ill 
treated,  and  although  five  executioners  were  kept  busily 
at  work  there  has  been  nothing  like  a  general  massacre." 

"  Thank  God  for  that,"  the  prince  said  piously.  "  That 
has  eased  my  mind.  I  feared  that  the  horrors  of  Zutphen 
and  Naarden  had  been  re-enacted." 

"  I  have  another  piece  of  good  news  to  give  you,  sir. 


286  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

As  I  passed  through  their  camps,  I  learned  that  all  the 
troops,  German  as  well  as  Spanish,  are  in  open  mutiny, 
and  have  sworn  that  they  will  neither  march  nor  fight 
until  they  receive  all  arrears  of  pay." 

"  That  is  good  news  indeed !  "  the  prince  exclaimed. 
"  It  will  give  us  breathing  time,  of  which  we  are  sadly 
in  need.  Were  the  Spaniards  to  march  forward  now, 
they  could  sweep  over  Holland,  for  I  could  not  put  a 
thousand  men  in  the  field  to  withstand  them.  And  now, 
Master  Martin,  what  shall  I  do  for  you  ?  .  You  have  re- 
ceived as  yet  no  reward  whatever  for  the  great  service 
3'^ou  rendered  us  by  the  successful  carrying  out  of  your 
mission  to  Brussels,  to  say  nothing  of  the  part  you  have 
borne  in  the  defense  of  Haarlem.  I  know  that  you 
joined  us  from  pure  love  of  our  cause  and  hatred  of 
Spanish  tyranny,  still  that  is  no  reason  wliy  I  sliould 
not  recognize  your  services.  H  you  would  like  it,  I 
would  gladly  appoint  you  to  the  command  of  a  com- 
pany of  volunteers." 

"  I  thank  you  greatly,  your  highness,"  replied  Ned  ; 
"but  I  am  far  too  young  to  command  men,  and  pray  that 
you  will  allow  me  to  remain  near  your  person,  and  to 
perform  such  service  as  you  may  think  me  capable  of." 

"  If  that  be  your  wish,  it  shall  be  so  for  the  present," 
the  prince  replied ;  "  and  it  is  pleasant  to  me  in  these 
days,  when  almost  every  noble  in  the  Netherlands  puts 
a  price  on  his  services,  and  when  even  the  cities  bargain 
for  every  crown-piece  they  advance,  to  find  one  who 
wants  nothing.  But  now  you  need  rest.  When  I  am 
more  at  leisure  you  shall  furnish  me  with  further  de- 
tails of  what  took  place  inside  Haarlem  during  the 
siege." 

The  long  defense  of  Haarlem,  the  enormous  expendi- 
ture which  it  had  cost,  both  in  money  and  life,  for  no 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  287 

less  than  ten  thousand  soldiers  had  fallen  in  the  assault 
or  by  disease,  induced  Alva  to  make  another  attempt 
to  win  back  the  people  of  Holland,  and  three  days  after 
Ned's  return  a  proclamation  was  sent  to  every  town. 

He  adopted  an  affectionate  tone  :  "  Ye  are  well  aware," 
began  the  address,  "  that  the  king  has  over  and  over 
again  manifested  his  willingness  to  receive  his  children, 
in  liowever  forlorn  a  condition  the  prodigals  might  re- 
turn. His  majesty  assures  you  once  more  that  your 
sins,  however  black  they  may  have  been,  shall  be  for- 
given and  forgotten  in  the  plentitude  of  royal  kindness, 
if  you  will  repent  and  return  in  season  to  his  majesty's " 
embrace.  Notwithstanding  your  manifold  crimes,  his 
majesty  still  seeks,  like  a  hen  calling  her  chickens,  to 
gather  you  all  under  the  parental  wing." 

This  portion  of  the  document,  which  was  by  the  order 
of  the  magistrates  affixed  to  the  doors  of  the  town  halls, 
was  received  with  shouts  of  laughter  by  the  citizens,  and 
many  were  the  jokes  as  to  the  royal  hen  and  the  return 
of  the  prodigals.  The  conclusion  of  the  document  af' 
forded  a  little  further  insight  into  the  affectionate  dis- 
position of  the  royal  bird.  "  If,"  continued  the  procla- 
mation, "  ye  disregard  these  offers  of  mercy,  and  receive 
them  with  closed  ears  as  heretofore,  then  we  warn  you 
that  there  is  no  rigor  or  cruelty,  however  great,  which 
you  are  not  to  expect,  by  laying  waste,  starvation,  and 
the  sword,  in  such  manner  that  nowhere  shall  remain  a 
relic  of  that  which  at  present  exists,  but  his  majesty 
will  strip  bare  and  utterly  depopulate  the  land,  and 
cause  it  to  be  inhabited  again  by  strangers,  since  other-" 
wise  his  majesty  would  not  believe  that  the  will  of  God 
and  of  his  majesty  had  been  accomplished." 

This  proclamation  produced  no  effect  whatever  ;  for 
the  people  of  Holland   were   well  aware  that  Philip  of 


288  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

Spain  would  never  grant  that  religious  toleration  for 
which  they  were  fighting,  and  they  knew  also  that  no  re- 
liance whatever  could  be  placed  in  Spanish  promises  or 
oaths.  For  a  month  Alva  was  occupied  in  persuading 
the  troops  to  return  to  their  duty,  and  at  last  managed 
to  raise  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  pay  each  man  a 
portion  of  the  arrears  due  to  him,  and  a  few  crowns  on 
account  of  his  share  of  the  ransom  paid  by  Haarlem. 
During  this  breathing  time  the  Prince  of  Orange  was 
indefatigable  in  his  endeavors  to  raise  a  force  capable  of 
undertaking  the  relief  of  such  towns  as  the  Spaniards 
might  invest. 

This,  however,  he  found  well-nigh  impossible.  The 
cities  were  all  ready  to  defend  themselves,  but  in  spite 
of  the  danger  that  threatened  they  were  chary  in  the 
extreme  in  contributing  money  for  the  common  cause, 
nor  would  the  people  enlist  for  service  in  the  field. 
Nothing  had  occurred  to  shake  the  belief  in  the  invinci- 
bility of  the  Spanish  soldiery  in  fair  fight  in  the  open, 
and  the  disasters  which  had  befallen  the  bodies  of  vol- 
unteers who  had  endeavored  to  relieve  Haarlem,  eflfect- 
ually  deterred  others  from  following  their  example. 
The  prince's  only  hope,  therefore,  of  being  able  to  put 
a  force  into  the  field,  rested  upon  his  brother  Louis, 
who  was  raising  an  army  of  mercenaries  in  Germany. 

He  had  little  assurance,  however,  that  relief  would 
come  from  this  quarter,  as  the  two  armies  he  had  him- 
self raised  in  Germany  had  effected  absolutely  nothing. 
His  efforts  to  raise  a  fleet  were  more  successful.  The 
hardy  mariners  of  Zeeland  were  ready  to  fight  on  their 
own  element,  and  asked  nothing  better  than  to  meet 
the  Spaniards  at  sea.  Nevertheless  money  had  to  be 
raised  for  the  purchase  of  vessels,  stores,  artillery,  and 
ammunition,      Ned  was  frequently  despatched  by  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  289 

prince  with  letters  to  magistrates  of  the  chief  towns,  to 
nobles  and  men  of  influence,  and  always  performed  his 
duties  greatly  to  the  prince's  satisfaction. 

As  soon  as  the  Duke  of  Alva  had  satisfied  the  troops, 
preparations  began  for  a  renewal  of  hostilities,  and  the 
prince  soon  learned  that  it  was  intended  that  Don  Fred- 
erick should  invade  Northern  Holland  with  sixteen 
thousand  men,  and  that  the  rest  of  the  army,  which  had 
lately  received  further  reinforcements,  should  lay  siege 
to  Leyden.  The  prince  felt  confident  that  Leyden 
could  resist  for  a  time,  but  he  was  very  anxious  as  to 
the  position  of  things  in  North  Holland.  In  the  cour- 
age and  ability  of  Sonoy,  the  lieutenant-governor  of 
North  Holland,  the  prince  had  entire  confidence  ;  but 
it  was  evident  by  the  tone  of  his  letters  that  he  had  lost 
all  hope  of  being  able  to  defend  the  province,  and  al- 
together despaired  of  the  success  of  their  cause.  He 
had  written  in  desponding  tones  at  the  utterly  insuffi- 
cient means  at  his  disposal  for  meeting  the  storm  that 
was  about  to  burst  upon  the  province,  and  had  urged 
that  unless  the  prince  had  a  good  prospect  of  help, 
either  from  France  or  England,  it  was  better  to  give  up 
the  struggle  than  to  bring  utter  destruction  upon  the 
whole  people. 

The  letter  in  which  the  prince  answered  him  has  been 
preserved,  and  well  illustrates  the  lofty  tone  of  his  com- 
munications in  this  crisis  of  the  fate  of  Holland.  He 
reprimanded  with  gentle  but  earnest  eloquence  the  de- 
spondency and  want  of  faith  of  his  lieutenant  and  other 
adherents.  He  had  not  expected,  he  said,  that  they 
would  have  so  soon-  forgotten  their  manly  courage. 
They  seemed  to  consider  the  whole  fate  of  the  country 
attached  to  the  city  of  Haarlem.  He  took  God  to  wit- 
ness that  he  had  spared  no  pains,  and  would  willingly 
19 


290  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

have  spared  no  drop  of  his  blood  to  save  that  devoted 
city. 

"But  as,  notwithstanding  our  efforts,"  he  continued, 
"  it  has  pleased  God  Almighty  to  dispose  of  Haarlem  ac- 
cording to  His  divine  will,  shall  we,  therefore,  deny  and 
deride  His  holy  word?  Has  His  Church,  therefore, 
come  to  naught  ?  You  ask  if  I  have  entered  into  a  linn 
treaty  with  any  great  king  or  potentate,  to  which  I  an- 
swer that  before  I  ever  took  up  the  cause  of  the  oppressed 
Christians  in  these  provinces  I  had  entered  into  a  close 
alliance  with  the  King  of  kings ;  and  I  am  firmly  con- 
vinced that  all  who  put  their  trust  in  Him  shall  be 
saved  by  His  Almighty  hand.  The  God  of  armies 
will  raise  up  armies  for  us  to  do  battle  with  our  ene- 
mies and  His  own." 

In  conclusion  he  detailed  his  preparations  for  attack- 
ing the  enemy  by  sea  as  well  as  by  land,  and  encouraged 
his  lieutenant  and  the  population  of  the  northern  prov- 
ince to  maintain  a  bold  front  before  the  advancing  foe. 
That  Sonoy  would  do  his  best  the  prince  was  sure  ;  but 
he  knew  how  difficult  it  is  for  one  who  himself  regards 
resistance  as  hopeless  to  inspire  enthusiasm  in  othere, 
and  he  determined  to  send  a  message  to  cheer  the 
people  of  North  Holland,  and  urge  them  to  resist  to  the 
last,  and  to  intrust  it  to  one  who  could  speak  personally 
as  to  the  efforts  that  were  being  made  for  their  assist- 
ance, and  who  was  animated  by  a  real  enthusiasm  in 
the  cause. 

It  was  an  important  mission ;  but  after  considering  the 
various  persons  of  his  household,  he  decided  to  intrust 
it  to  the  lad  who  had  showed  such  courage  and  discretion 
in  his  dangerous  mission  to  Brussels.  A  keen  observer 
of  character  the  prince  felt  tliat  he  could  trust  the  young, 
fellow  absolutely  to  do  his  best  at  whatever  risk  to  him- 


BY  PIKE  AND  BYKK  291 

self.  He  had  believed  when  he  first  joined  him  that 
Ned  was  some  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  the  year  that 
had  since  elapsed  with  its  dangers  and  reponsibilities 
had  added  two  or  three  years  to  his  appearance. 

It  was  the  fashion  in  Holland  to  entirely  shave  the 
face,  and  Ned's  smooth  cheeks  were  therefore  no  sign 
of  youth.  Standing  over  the  average  height  of  the 
natives  of  Holland,  with  broad  shoulders  and  well-set 
figure,  he  might  readily  pass  as  a  man  of  three  or  four 
and  twenty.     The  prince  accordingly  sent  for  the  lad. 

"  I  have  another  mission  for  you,  Master  Martin ;  and 
again  a  dangerous  one.  The  Spaniards  are  on  the  point 
of  marching  to  lay  siege  to  Alkmaar,  and  I  wish  a  mes- 
sage carried  to  the  citizens  assuring  them  that  they  may 
rely  absolutely  upon  my  relieving  them  by  breaking 
down  the  dykes.  I  wish  you  on  this  occasion  to  be 
more  than  a  messenger.  In  these  despatches  I  have 
spoken  of  you  as  one  Captain  Martin,  who  possesses  my 
fullest  confidence.  You  would,  as  you  say,  be  j^oung  to 
be  a  captain  of  a  company  of  fighting  men,  but  as  an 
officer  attached  to  my  household  you  can  bear  that  rank 
as  well  as  another. 

"  It  jvill  be  useful,  and  will  add  to  your  influence 
and  authority,  and  I  have  therefore  appointed  you  to 
the  grade  of  captain,  of  which  by  your  conduct  you  have 
proved  yourself  to  be  worthy.  Your  mission  is  to  en- 
courage the  inhabitants  to  resist  to  the  last,  to  rouse 
them  to  enthusiasm  if  you  can,  to  give  them  my  solemn 
promise  that  they  shall  not  be  deserted,  and  to  assure 
them  that  if  I  cannot  raise  a  force  sufficient  to  relieve 
them  I  will  myself  come  round  and  superintend  the 
operation  of  cutting  the  dykes  and  laying  the  whole 
country  under  water.  I  do  not  know  whether  you  will 
find  the  lieutenant-governor  in  the  city,  but  at  any  rate 


292  bT  PIKE  AND  LYKH.  I 

he  will  not  remain  there  during  the  siege,  as  he  has  work 
outside.  But  I  shall  give  you  a  letter  recommending 
you  to  him,  and  ask  him  to  give  you  his  warmest  sup- 
port." 

The  prince  then  took  off  the  gold  chain  he  wore  round 
his  neck,  and  placed  it  upon  Ned.  "  I  give  you  this  in 
the  first  place,  Captain  Martin,  in  token  of  my  esteem 
and  of  my  gratitude  for  the  perilous  service  you  have 
already  rendered;  and  secondly,  as  a  visible  mark  of 
my  confidence  in  you,  and  as  a  sign  that  I  have  intrusted 
you  with  authority  to  speak  for  me.  Going  as  you  now 
do,  it  will  be  best  for  you  to  assume  somewhat  more 
courtly  garments  in  order  to  do  credit  to  your  mission. 
I  have  given  orders  that  these  shall  be  prepared  for  you, 
and  that  you  shall  be  provided  with  a  suit  of  armor,  such 
as  a  young  noble  would  wear.  All  will  be  prepared  for 
you  this  afternoon.  At  six  o'clock  a  ship  will  be  in 
readiness  to  sail,  and  this  will  land  you  on  the  coast  at 
the  nearest  point  to  Alkmaar.  Should  any  further  point 
occur  to  you  before  evening,  speak  to  me  freely  about 
it." 

Ned  retired  depressed  rather  than  elated  at  the  confi- 
dence the  prince  reposed  in  him,  and  at  the  rank  and 
dignity  he  had  bestowed  upon  him.  He  questioned, 
too,  whether  he  had  not  done  wrong  in  not  stating  at 
once  when  the  prince  had,  on  his  first  joining  him,  set 
down  his  age  at  over  eighteen,  that  he  was  two  years 
under  that  age,  and  he  hesitated  whether  he  ought  not 
even  now  to  go  to  him  and  state  the  truth.  He  would 
have  done  so  had  he  not  known  how  great  were  the 
labors  of  the  prince,  and  how  incessantly  he  was  occupied, 
and  so  feared  to  upset  his  plans  and  cause  him  fresh 
trouble.  "  Anyhow,"  he  said  to  himself  at  last,  "  I  will 
do  my  best ;  and  I  could  do  no  more  if  I  were  nineteen 


br  PIKE  AND  DYKE,  29Ji 

instead  of  seventeen.  The  prince  has  chosen  me  for 
this  business,  not  because  of  my  age,  but  because  he 
tliought  I  could  carry  it  out ;  and  carry  it  out  I  will,  if 
it  be  in  my  power." 

In  the  afternoon  a  clothier  arrived  with  several  suits 
of  handsome  material  and  make,  cut  of  sober  colors, 
such  as  a  young  man  of  good  family  would  wear,  and 
an  armorer  brought  him  a  morion  and  breast  and  back 
pieces  of  steel,  handsomely  inlaid  with  gold.  When  he 
was  alone  he  attired  himself  in  the  quietest  of  his  new 
•Suits,  and  looking  at  himself  in  the  mirror  burst  into  a 
fit  of  hearty  laughter. 

"What  in  the  world  would  my  father  and  mother 
and  the  girls  say  were  they  to  see  me  pranked  out  in 
such  attire  as  this  ?  They  would  scarce  know  me,  and 
I  shall  scarce  know  myself  for  some  time.  However,  I 
think  I  shall  be  able  to  play  my  part  as  the  prince's 
representive  better  in  these  than  I  should  have  done  in 
the  dress  I  started  in  last  time,  or  in  that  I  wore  on 
board  the  Good  Venture." 

At  five  o'clock  Ned  paid  another  visit  to  the  prince, 
and  thanked  him  heartily  for  his  kindness  toward  him, 
and  then  received  a  few  last  instructions.  On  his  return 
to  his  room  he  found  a  corporal  and  four  soldiers  at  the 
door.     The  former  saluted. 

"  We  have  ordere,  Captain  Martin,  to  place  ourselves 
under  your  command  for  detached  duty.  Our  kits  are 
already  on  board  the  ship ;  the  men  will  carry  down 
your  mails  if  they  are  packed." 

"  I  only  take  that  trunk  with  me,"  Ned  said,  pointing 
to  the  one  that  contained  his  new  clothes  ;  "  and  there 
is  besides  my  armor,  and  that  brace  of  pistols." 

Followed  by  the  corporal  and  men,  Ned  now  made  his 
way  down  to  the  port,  where  the  captain  of  the  little 


^94  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKS. 

vessel  received  him  with  profound  respect.  As  soon  as 
tliey  were  onboard  the  sails  were  hoisted, and  the  vessel 
ran  down  the  channel  from  Delft  tiirough  The  Hague 
to  the  sea.  On  the  following  morning  they  anchored 
soon  after  daybreak.  A  boat  was  lowered,  and  Ned 
and  the  soldiers  landed  on  the  sandy  shore.  Followed 
by  them  he  made  his  way  over  the  high  range  of  sand- 
hills facing  the  sea,  and  then  across  the  low  cultivated 
country  extending  to  Alkmaar.  He  saw  parties  of  men 
and  women  hurrying  northward  along  the  causeways 
laden  with  goods,  and  leading  in  most  instances  horses 
or  donkeys,  staggering  under  the  weights  placed  upon 
them. 

"  I  think  we  are  but  just  in  time,  corporal.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  villages  are  evidently  fleeing  before  the 
advance  of  the  Spaniards.  Another  day  and  we  should 
have  been  too  late  to  get  into  the  town." 

Alkmaar  had  been  in  sight  from  the  time  they  had 
crossed  the  dunes,  and  after  walking  five  miles  they  ar- 
rived at  its  gates. 

"  Is  the  lieutenant-governor  in  the  town  ? "  Ned 
asked  one  of  the  citizens. 

"  Yes,  he  is  still  here,"  the  man  said.  "  You  will  find 
him  at  the  town-hall." 

There  was  much  excitement  in  the  streets.  Armed 
burghers  were  standing  in  groups,  women  were  looking 
anxiously  from  dooi-s  and  casements  ;  but  Ned  was  sur- 
prised to  see  no  soldiers  about,  although  he  knew  that 
the  eight  hundred  whom  the  prince  had  despatched  as 
a  garrison  must  have  arrived  there  some  days  before. 
On  arriving  at  the  town-hall  he  found  the  general  seated 
at  table.  In  front  of  him  were  a  group  ef  elderly  men 
whom  he  supposed  to  be  the  leading  citizens,  and  it  was 
evident  by  the  raised  voices  and  angry  looks,  both  of 


BY  PIKE  AND  IfTKE.  295 

tli«  old  officer  and  of  the  citizens,  that  there  was  some 
serious  difference  of  opinion  between  them. 

"  Whom  have  we  here  ?  "  Sonoy  asked  as  Ned  ap- 
proached the  table. 

"  I  am  a  messenger,  sir,  from  the  prince.  I  bear  these 
despatches  to  yourself,  and  have  also  lettera  and  mes- 
sages from  him  to  the  citizens  of  Alkmaar." 

"  You  come  at  a  good  season,"  the  governor  said 
shortly,  taking  the  despatches,  "  and  if  anything  you 
can  say  will  soften  the  obstinacy  of  these  good  people 
here,  you  will  do  them  and  me  a  service." 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  minutes  as  the  governor 
read  the  letter  Ned  had  brought  him. 

"  My  good  friends,"  he  said  at  last  to  the  citizens, 
"  this  is  Captain  Martin,  an  officer  whom  the  prince 
tells  me  stands  high  in  his  confidence.  He  bore  part 
in  the  siege  of  Haarlem,  and  has  otherwise  done  great 
service  to  the  state;  the  prince  commends  him  most 
highly  to  me  and  to  you.  He  has  sent  him  here  in  the 
first  place  to  assure  you  fully  of  the  prince's  intentions 
on  your  behalf.  He  will  especially  represent  the  prince 
during  the  siege,  and  from  his  knowledge  of  the  methods 
of  defense  at  Haarlem,  of  the  arrangements  for  portion- 
ing out  the  food  and  other  matters,  he  will  be  able  to 
give  you  valuable  advice  and  assistance.  As  you  are 
aware,  I  ride  in  an  hour  to  Enkhuizen  in  order  to  super- 
intendent the  general  arrangement  for  the  defence  of 
the  province,  and  especially  for  affording  you  aid,  and 
I  am  glad  to  leave  behind  me  an  officer  who  is  so  com- 
pletely in  the  confidence  of  the  prince.  He  will  first 
deliver  the  messages  .with  which  he  is  charged  to  you, 
and  then  we  will  hear  what  he  says  as  to  this  matter 
which  is  in  dispute  between  us." 

The  passage  of  Ned  with  his  escort  through  the  street 


296  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

had  attracted  much  attention,  and  the  citizens  had 
followed  him  into  the  hall  in  considerable  numbers  to 
hear  the  message  of  which  he  was  no  doubt  the  bearer. 
Ned  took  his  place  by  the  side  of  the  old  officer,  and 
facing  the  crowd  began  to  speak.  At  other  times  he 
would  have  been  diffident  in  addressing  a  crowded  aud- 
ience, but  he  felt  that  he  must  justify  the  confidence 
imposed  on  him,  and  knowing  the  preparations  that  were 
being  made  by  the  prince,  and  his  intense  anxiety  that 
Alkmaar  should  resist  to  the  end,  he  began  without 
hesitation,  and  speedily  forgot  himself  in  the  importance 
of  the  subject. 

"  Citizens  of  Alkmaar,"  he  began,  "  the  prince  has 
sent  me  specially  to  tell  what  there  is  in  his  mind  con- 
cerning you,  and  how  his  thoughts,  night  and  day,  have 
been  turned  toward  your  city.  Not  only  the  prince, 
but  all  Holland  are  turning  their  eyes  toward  you,  and 
none  doubt  that  you  will  show  yourselves  as  worthy, 
as  faithful,  and  as  steadfast  as  have  the  citizens  of  Haar- 
lem. You  fight  not  for  glory,  but  for  your  liberty,  for 
your  religion,  for  the  honor  and  the  lives  of  those  dear 
to  you ;  and  yet  your  glory  and  your  honor  will  be 
great  indeed  if  this  little  city  of  yours  should  prove  the 
bulwark  of  Holland,  and  should  beat  back  from  its  walls 
the  power  of  Spain.  The  prince  bids  me  tell  you  that 
he  is  doing  all  he  can  to  collect  an  army  and  a 
fleet. 

"  In  the  latter  respect  he  is  succeeding  well.  The 
hardiest  seamen  of  Holland  and  Zeeland  are  gathering 
round  him,  and  have  sworn  that  they  will  clear  the 
Zuider-Zee  of  the  Spaniards  or  die  in  the  attempt.  As 
to  the  army,  it  is,  as  you  know,  next  to  impossible  to 
gather  one  capable  of  coping  with  the  hosts  of  Spain  in 
the  field  j  but  happily  you  need  not  rely  solely  upon 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  297 

an  army  to  save  you  in  your  need.  Here  you  have  an 
advantage  over  your  brethren  of  Haarlem.  There  it 
was  impossible  to  flood  the  land  round  the  city  ;  and  the 
dykes  by  which  the  food  supply  of  the  Spaniards  could 
have  been  cut  off  were  too  strongly  guarded  to  be  won, 
even  when  your  noble  governor  himself  led  his  forces 
against  them. 

"  But  it  is  not  so  here.  The  dykes  are  far  away,  and 
the  Spaniards  cannot  protect  them.  Grievous  as  it  is  to 
the  prince  to  contemplate  the  destruction  of  the  rich 
country  your  fathers  have  won  from  the  sea,  he  bids  me 
tell  you  that  he  will  not  hesitate ;  but  that,  as  a  last  re- 
source, he  pledges  himself  that  he  will  lay  the  country 
under  water  and  drown  out  the  Spaniards  to  save  you. 
They  have  sworn,  as  you  know,  to  turn  Holland  into  a 
desert — to  leave  none  alive  in  her  cities  and  villages. 
Well,  then  ;  better  a  thousand  times  that  we  should  re- 
turn it  to  the  ocean  from  which  we  won  it,  and  that 
then,  having  cast  out  the  Spaniards,  we  should  renew 
the  labors  of  our  fathers,  and  again  recover  it  from  the 
sea." 

A  shout  of  applause  rang  through  the  hall. 

"  But  this,"  Ned  went  on,  "is  the  last  resource,  and 
will  not  be  taken  until  naught  else  can  be  done  to  save 
you.  It  is  for  you,  first,  to  show  the  Spaniards  how  the 
men  of  Holland  can  fight  for  their  freedom,  their  religion, 
their  families,  and  their  homes.  Then,  when  you  have 
done  all  that  men  can  do,  the  prince  will  prove  to 
the  Spaniards  that  the  men  of  Holland  will  lay  their 
country  under  water  rather  than  surrender." 

"  Does  the  prince  solemnly  bind  himself  to  do  this  ?  ** 
one  of  the  elder  burghers  asked. 

"  He  does ;  and  here  is  his  promise  in  black  and  white, 
with  his  seal  attached." 


298  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  We  will  retire,  and  let  you  have  our  answer  in  half 
an  hour." 

Ned  glanced  at  the  governor,  who  shook  his  head 
slightly. 

"  What !  is  there  need  of  deliberation  ?  "  Ned  asked 
in  a  voice  that  was  heard  all  over  the  hall.  "  To  you, 
citizens  at  large,  I  appeal.  Of  what  use  is  it  now  to  delib- 
erate? Have  you  not  already  sent  a  defiant  answer  to 
Alva?  Are  not  his  troops  within  a  day's  march  of  you? 
Think  you  that,  even  if  you  turn  traitoi-s  to  your  country 
and  to  your  prince,  and  throw  open  the  gates,  it  would 
save  you  now  ?  Did  submission  save  Naarden  ?  How 
many  of  you,  think  you,  would  survive  the  sack  ?  and 
for  those  who  did  so,  what  would  life  be  worth  ?  They 
would  live  an  object  of  reproach  and  scoffing  among  all 
true  Hollanders,  as  the  men  of  the  city  who  threatened 
what  they  dared  not  perform,  who  were  bold  while  Alva 
was  four  days'  march  away,  but  who  cowered  like  chil- 
dren when  they  saw  the  standards  of  Spain  approaching 
their  walls.  I  appeal  to  you,  is  this  a  time  to  hesitate 
or  discuss  ?  I  ask  you  now,  in  the  name  of  the  prince, 
are  you  true  men  or  false  ?  Are  you  for  Orange  or 
Alva  ?    What  is  your  answer  ?  " 

A  tremendous  shout  shook  the  hall. 

"  We  will  fight  to  the  death  I  No  surrender  !  Down 
with  the  council ! "  and  there  were  loud  and  threatening 
shouts  against  some  of  the  magistrates.  The  governor 
now  rose : 

"  My  friends,"  he  said, "  I  rejoice  to  hear  your  decision ; 
and  now  there  is  no  time  for  idle  talk.  Throw  open 
the  gates,  and  call  in  the  troops  whom  the  prince  has 
sent  to  your  aid,  and  whom  your  magistrates  have  hither- 
to refused  to  admit.  Choose  from  among  yourselves  six 
men  upon  whom  you  can  rely  to  confer  with  me  and 


Sr  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  290 

with  tbe  officer  commanding  the  troops.  Choose  good 
and  worshipful  men,  zealous  in  the  cause.  I  will  see 
before  I  leave  to-day  that  your  magistracy  is  strengthened. 
You  need  now  men  of  heart  and  action  at  your  head. 
Captain  Martin,  who  has  been  thi-ough  the  siege  of 
Haarlem,  will  deliberate  with  twelve  citizens  whom  I 
will  select  as  to  the  steps  to  be  taken  for  gathering  the 
food  into  magazines  for  the  public  use,  for  issuing 
daily  rations,  for  organizing  the  women  as  well  as  the 
men  for  such  work  as  they  are  fit.  There  is  much  to  be 
done,  and  but  little  time  to  do  it,  for  to-morrow  the 
Spaniards  will  be  in  front  of  your  walls." 

In  an  hour's  time  the  eight  hundred  troops  marched 
in  from  Egmont  Castle  and  Egmont  Abbey,  where  they 
had  been  quartered  while  the  citizens  were  wavering 
between  resistance  and  submission.  Four  of  the  citizens, 
who  had  already  been  told  off  for  the  purpose,  met  them 
at  the  gate  and  alloted  them  quarters  in  the  various 
houses.  Governor  Sonoy  was  already  in  deliberation 
with  the  six  men  chosen  by  the  townspeople  to  represent 
them.  He  had  at  once  removed  from  the  magistracy  an 
equal  number  of  those  who  had  been  the  chief  opponents 
of  resistance  ;  for  here,  as  in  other  towns,  the  magistrates 
had  been  appointed  by  tlie  Spaniards. 

Ned  was  busy  conferring  with  the  committee,  and  ex- 
plaining to  them  the  organization  adopted  at  Haarlem. 
He  pointed  out  that  it  was  a  first  necessity  that  all  the 
men  capable  of  bearing  arms  should  be  divided  into 
companies  of  fifty,  each  which  sliould  select  its  own  cap- 
tain and  lieutenant ;  that  the  names  of  the  women  should 
be  inscribed,  with  their  ages,  that  the  active  and  able- 
bodied  should  be  divided  into  companies  for  carrying 
materials  to  the  walls,  and  aiding  in  the  defense  when  a 
breach  was  attacked  ;  and  that  the  old  and  feeble  should 


300  BY  PIKE  AND  DTKS. 

be  made  useful  in  the  hospitals  and  for  such  other  work 
as  their  powers  admitted.  All  children  were  to  join  the 
companies  to  which  their  mothers  belonged,  and  to  help 
as  far  as  they  could  in  their  work.  Having  set  these 
matters  in  train,  Ned  rejoined  the  governor. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Captain  Martin,  upon  the  service 
you  have  rendered  to-day.  Your  youth  and  enthusiasm 
have  succeeded  where  my  experience  failed.  You  be- 
lieve in  the  possibility  of  success,  and  thus  your  words 
had  a  ring  and  fervor  which  were  wanting  in  mine,  fear- 
ing as  I  do  that  the  cause  is  a  lost  one.  I  wondered 
much  when  you  first  presented  j'ourself  that  the  prince 
should  have  given  his  confidence  to  one  so  young.  I 
wonder  no  longer.  The  prince  never  makes  a  mis- 
take in  his  instruments,  and  he  has  chosen  well  this 
time. 

"  I  leave  the  city  to-night,  and  shall  write  to  the 
prince  from  Enkhuizen  telling  him  how  you  have  brought 
the  citizens  round  to  a  sense  of  their  duty  ;  and  that 
whereas  at  the  moment  of  your  arrival  I  believed  the 
magistrates  would  throw  open  the  gates  to  morrow,  I  am 
now  convinced  the  city  ^vill  resist  till  the  last.  In 
military  matters  the  officer  in  command  of  the  troops 
will  of  course  take  the  direction  of  things ;  but  in  all 
other  matters  you,  as  the  prince's  special  represent- 
ative, will  act  as  adviser  of  the  burghers.  1  wish  that 
I  could  stay  here  and  share  in  the  perils  of  the  siege.  It 
would  be  far  more  suitable  to  my  disposition  than  argu- 
ing with  pig-headed  burghers,  and  trying  to  excite 
their  enthusiasm  when  my  own  hopes  have  all  but 
vanished." 

The  officer  commanding  the  garrison  now  entered, 
and  the  governor  introduced  Ned  to  him. 

"  You  will  find  in  Captain  Martin,  one  who  is  in  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  301 

prince's  confidence,  and  has  been  sent  here  as  his  special 
representative,  and  able  coadjutor.  He  will  organize 
the  citizens  as  they  were  organized  at  Haarlem ;  and 
while  you  are  defending  the  walls  he  will  see  that  all 
goes  on  in  good  order  in  the  town,  that  there  is  no  undue 
waste  in  provisions,  that  the  breaches  are  repaired  as  fast 
as  made,  that  the  sick  and  wounded  are  well  cared  for, 
and  that  the  spirits  of  the  townspeople  are  maintained." 

"  That  will  indeed  be  an  assistance, "  the  officer  said 
courteously,  "These  details  are  as  necessary  as  the 
work  of  fighting  ;  and  it  is  impossible  for  one  man  to 
attend  to  them  and  to  see  to  his  miltiary  work." 

"  I  shall  look  to  you,  sir,  for  your  aid  and  assistance," 
Ned  said  modestly.  "  The  prince  is  pleased  to  have  a 
good  opinion  of  me ;  but  I  am  young  and  shall  find  the 
responsbility  a  very  heavy  one,  and  can  only  hope  to 
maintain  my  authority  by  the  aid  of  your  assistance." 

"  I  think  that  you  will  not  require  much  aid.  Captain 
Martin,**  the  governor  said.  "  I  marked  you  when 
you  were  speaking,  and  doubt  not  that  your  spirit  will 
carry  you  through  all  difficulties. " 

That  night  was  a  busy  one  in  Alkmaar.  Few  thought 
of  sleeping,  and  before  morning  the  lists  were  all  pre- 
pared, the  companies  mustered,  officers  chosen,  posts 
on  the  walls  assigned  to  them,  and  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  Alkmaar  knew  the  nature  of  the  duties  they 
would  be  called  upon  to  perform.  Just  before  mid- 
night the  governor  left. 

"  Farewell,  young  man,"  he  said  to  Ned ;  "  I  trust 
that  we  may  meet  again.  Now  that  I  have  got  rid  of 
the  black  sheep  among  the  magistracy  I  feel  more  hope- 
ful as  to  the  success  of  the  defense." 

"  But  may  I  ask,  sir,  why  you  did  npt  dismiss  them 
before?" 


802  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  Ah !  you  hardly  know  the  burghers  of  these  towns,'* 
Sonoy  said,  shaking  his  head.  "  They  stand  upon  their 
rights  and  privileges,  and  if  you  touch  their  civic  oiBficers 
they  are  like  a  swarm  of  angry  bees.  Governor  of  North 
Holland  as  I  am,  I  could  not  have  interfered  with  the 
magistracy  even  of  this  little  town.  It  was  only  because 
at  the  moment  the  people  were  roused  to  enthusiasm, 
and  because  they  regarded  you  as  the  special  represen- 
tative of  the  prince,  that  I  was  able  to  do  so.  Now 
that  the  act  is  done  they  are  well  content  with  the  change, 
especially  as  I  have  appointed  the  men  they  themselves 
chose  to  the  vacant  places.  It  was  the  same  thing  at 
Enkhuizen — I  could  do  nothing ;  and  it  was  only  when 
Sainte  Aldegonde  came  with  authority  from  the  prince 
himself  that  we  were  able  to  get  rid  of  Alva's  creatures. 
Well,  I  must  ride  away.  The  Spaniards  are  encamped 
about  six  miles  away,  and  you  may  expect  to  see  them 
soon  after  daybreak." 

It  was  indeed  early  in  the  morning  that  masses  of 
smoke  were  seen  rising  from  the  village  of  Egmont,  tell- 
ing the  citizens  of  Alkmaar  that  the  troopers  of  Don 
Frederick  had  arrived.  Alkmaar  was  but  a  small  town, 
and  when  eveiy  man  capable  of  bearing  arms  was  mus- 
tered they  numbered  only  about  thirteen  hundi'ed,  be- 
sides the  eight  hundred  soldiers.  It  was  on  the  21st 
of  August  that  Don  Frederick  with  sixteen  thousand 
veteran  troops  appeared  before  the  walls  of  the  town, 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  invest  it,  and  accomplished  this 
so  thoroughly  that  Alva  wrote,  "  It  is  impossible  for  a 
sparrow  to  enter  or  go  out  of  the  city."  There  was  no 
doubt  what  the  fate  of  the  inhabitants  would  be  if  the 
city  were  captured.  The  duke  was  furious  that  what  he 
considered  his  extraordinary  clemency  in  having  exe- 
cuted only  some  twenty-four  hundred  persons  at  the  suy- 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  808 

render  of  Haarlem  should  not  have  been  met  with  the 

gratitude  it  deserved. 

"  If  I  take  Alkmaar,"  he  wrote  to  the  king,  "  lam  re- 
solved not  to  leave  a  single  person  alive  ;  the  knife  shall 
be  put  to  every  throat.  Since  the  example  of  Haarlem 
has  proved  to  be  of  no  use,  perhaps  an  example  of  cruel- 
ty will  bring  the  other  cities  to  their  senses." 


804  MY  PIKE  AND  DTKiS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

FEIENDS  IN  TROUBLE. 

Within  the  little  town  of  Alkmaar  all  went  on 
quietly.  While  the  Spaniards  constructed  their  lines 
of  investment  and  mounted  their  batteries,  and  then 
labored  continually  at  strengthening  their  walls,  the. 
women  and  children  carried  materials,  all  the  food  was 
collected  in  magazines,  and  rations  served  out  regularly. 
A  carpenter  named  Peter  Van  der  Mey  managed  to 
make  his  way  out  of  the  city  a  fortnight  after  the  in- 
vestment began  with  letters  to  the  prince  and  Sonoy, 
giving  the  formal  consent  of  all  within  the  walls  for  the 
cutting  of  the  dykes  when  it  should  be  necessary ;  for, 
according  to  the  laws  of  Holland,  a  step  that  would 
lead  to  so  enormous  a  destruction  of  property  could  not 
be  undertaken,  even  in  the  most  urgent  circumstances, 
without  the  consent  of  the  population. 

At  daybreak  on  the  18th  of  September  a  heavy  can- 
nonade was  opened  against  the  walls,  and  after  twelve 
hours*  fire  two  breaches  were  made.  Upon  the  follow- 
ing morning  two  of  the  best  Spanish  regiments  which 
had  just  arrived  from  Italy  led  the  way  to  the  assault, 
shouting  and  cheering  as  they  went,  and  confident  of  an 
easy  victor^'.  They  were  followed  by  heavy  masses  of 
troops. 

Now  Ned  was  again  to  see  what  the  slow  and  some- 
what apathetic  Dutch  burghers  could  do  when  fairly 
aroused  to  action.     Every  man  capable    of   bearing  a 


BY  PIKE  A^D  DYKE.  305 

weapon  was  upon  the  walls,  and  not  even  in  Haarlem 
was  an  attack  received  with  more  coolness  and  confidence. 
As  the  storming  parties  approached  they  were  swept  by 
artillery  and  musketry,  and  as  they  attempted  to  climb 
the  breaches,  boiling  water,  pitch  and  oil,  molten  lead 
and  unslacked  lime  were  poured  upon  them.  Hundreds 
of  tarred  and  blazing  hoops  were  skillfully  thrown  on 
to  their  necks,  and  those  who,  in  spite  of  these  terrible 
missiles,  mounted  to  the  breach,  found  themselves  con- 
fronted by  the  soldiers  and  burghers,  armed  with  axe 
and  pike,  and  were  slain  or  cast  back  again. 

Three  times  was  the  assault  renewed,  fresh  troops  be- 
ing ever  brought  up  and  pressing  forward,  wild  with 
rage  at  their  repulses,  by  so  small  a  number  of  defenders. 
But  each  was  in  turn  hurled  back.  For  four  hours 
the  desperate  fight  continued.  The  women  and  chil- 
dren showed  a  calmness  equal  to  that  of  the  men,  mov- 
ing backward  and  forward  between  the  magazines  and 
the  ramparts  with  supplies  of  missiles  and  ammunition 
to  the  combatants.  At  nightfall  the  Spaniards  desisted 
from  the  attack  and  fell  back  to  their  camp,  leaving  a 
thousand  dead  behind  them ;  while  only  twenty-four  of 
the  garrison  and  thirteen  of  the  burghers  lost  their  lives. 

A  Spanish  officer  who  had  mounted  the  breach  for  an 
instant,  and,  after  being  hurled  back,  almost  miracu- 
lously escaped  with  his  life,  reported  that  he  had  seen 
neither  helmet  nor  harness  as  he  looked  down  into  the 
city — only  some  plain-looking  people,  generally  dressed 
like  fishermen.  The  cannonade  was  renewed  on  the 
following  morning,  and  after  seven  hundred  shots  had 
been  fired  and  the  breaches  enlarged,  a  fresh  assault  was 
ordered.  But  the  troops  absolutely  refused  to  advance. 
It  seemed  to  them  that  the  devil,  whom  they  believed 
Protestants  worahiped,  had  protected  the  city,  otbe(- 
20 


B36  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

wise  how  could  a  handful  of  townsmen  and  fishermen 
have  defeated  the  invincible  soldiers  of  Spain,  outnum- 
bering  them  eight-fold. 

In  vain  Don  Frederick  and  his  generals  entreated  and 
stormed.  Several  of  the  soldiers  were  run  through  the 
body,  but  even  this  did  not  intimidate  the  rest  into  sub- 
mission, and  the  assault  was  in  consequence  postponed. 
Already,  indeed,  there  was  considerable  uneasiness  in 
the  Spanish  camp.  Governor  Sonoy  had  opened  many 
of  the  dykes,  and  the  ground  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
camp  was  already  feeling  soft  and  boggy.  It  needed 
but  that  two  great  dykes  should  be  pierced  to  spread  the 
inundation  over  the  whole  country.  The  carpenter  who 
had  soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  siege  earned 
out  the  despatches  had  again  made  his  way  back. 

He  was  the  bearer  of  the  copy  of  a  letter  sent  from 
the  prince  to  Sonoy,  ordering  him  to  protect  the  dykes 
and  sluices  with  strong  guards,  lest  the  peasants,  in 
order  to  save  their  crops,  should  repair  the  breaches. 
He  was  directed  to  flood  the  whole  country  at  all  risks 
rather  than  to  allow  Alkmaar  to  fall.  The  prince  directed 
the  citizens  to  kindle  four  great  beacon-fires  as  soon  as 
it  should  prove  necessary  to  resort  to  extreme  measures, 
and  solemnly  promised  that  as  soon  as  the  signal  was 
given  an  inundation  should  be  created  which  would 
sweep  the  whole  Spanish  army  into  the  sea. 

The  carpenter  was  informed  of  the  exact  contents  of 
his  despatches,  so  that  in  case  of  losing  them  in  his 
passage  through  the  Spanish  camp  he  could  repeat 
them  by  word  of  mouth  to  the  citizens.  This  was  ex- 
actly what  happened.  The  despatches  were  concealed 
in  a  hollow  stick,  and  this  stick  the  carpenter,  in  carry- 
ing out  his  perilous  undertaking,  lost.  As  it  turned  out 
it  was  fortunate  that  he  did  so.    The  stick  was  picked 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  307 

up  in  the  camp  and  discovered  to  be  hollow.  It  was 
carried  to  Don  Frederick,  who  read  the  despatches,  and 
at  once  called  his  officers  together. 

Alarmed  at  the  prospect  before  them,  and  already 
heartily  sick  of  the  siege  in  which  the  honor  all  fell  to 
their  opponents,  they  agreed  that  the  safety  of  an  army 
of  the  picked  troops  of  Spain  must  not  be  sacrificed 
merely  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  possession  of  an 
insignificant  town.  Orders  were  therefore  given  for 
an  immediate  ret  eat,  and  on  the  8th  of  October  the 
siege  was  raised  and  the  troops  marched  back  to  Am- 
sterdam. 

Thus  for  the  first  time  the  Spaniards  had  to  recoil 
before  their  puny  adversaries.  The  terrible  loss  of  life 
entailed  by  the  capture  of  Haarlem  had  struck  a  pro- 
found blow  at  the  haughty  confidence  of  tlie  Spaniards, 
and  had  vastly  encoui-aged  the  people  of  Holland.  Tlie 
successful  defense  of  Alkmaar  did  even  more.  It  showed 
the  people  that  resistance  did  not  necessarily  lead  to 
calamity,  that  the  risk  was  greater  in  surrender  than  in 
defiance,  and,  above  all,  that  in  their  dykes  they  pos- 
sessed means  of  defense  that,  if  properly  used,  would 
fight  for  them  even  more  effectually  than  they  could  do 
for  themselves. 

Ned  had  taken  his  full  share  in  the  labors  and  dangers 
of  the  siege.  He  had  been  indefatigable  in  seeing  that 
all  the  arrangements  worked  well  and  smoothly,  had 
slept  on  the  walls  with  the  men,  encouraged  the  women, 
talked  and  laughed  with  the  children,  and  done  all  in 
his  power  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  inhabitants.  At 
the  assault  on  the  breaches  he  had  donned  his  armor  and 
fought  in  the  front  line  as  a  volunteer  under  the  officer 
in  command  of  the  garrison. 

On  the  day  when  the  Spaniards  were  seen  to  be  bre^k- 


308  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ing  up  their  camps  and  retiring,  a  meeting  was  held  in 
the  town-hall,  after  a  solemn  thanksgiving  had  been 
offered  in  the  church,  and  by  acclamation  Ned  was  made 
a  citizen  of  the  town,  and  was  presented  with  a  gold 
chain  as  a  token  of  the  gratitude  of  the  people  of  Alkmaar. 
There  was  nothing  more  for  him  to  do  here,  and  as 
soon  as  the  Spaniards  had  broken  up  their  camp  he 
mounted  a  horse  and  rode  to  Enkhuizen,  bidding  his 
escort  follow  him  at  once  on  foot. 

He  had  learned  from  the  carpenter  who  had  made  his 
way  in,  that  the  fleet  was  collected,  and  that  a  portion 
of  them  from  the  northern  ports  under  Admiral  Dirkzoon 
had  already  set  sail,  and  the  whole  were  expected  to 
arrive  in  a  few  days  in  the  Zuider-Zee.  As  he  rode 
through  the  street  on  his  way  to  the  burgomaster's  his 
eye  fell  upon  a  familiar  face,  and  he  at  once  reined  in 
his  horse. 

"  Ah !  Peters,"  he  exclaimed,  "  is  it  you  ?  Is  the  Good 
Venture  in  port  ?  " 

Peters  looked  up  in  astonishment.  The  voice  was 
that  of  Ned  Martin,  but  he  scarce  recognized  in  the 
handsomely  dressed  young  officer  the  lad  he  had  last 
seen  a  year  before. 

"  Why,  it  is  Master  Ned,  sure  enough  !  "  he  exclaimed, 
shaking  the  lad's  hand  warmly.  "  Though  if  you  had 
not  spoken  I  should  have  assuredly  passed  you.  Why, 
lad,  you  are  transformed.  I  took  you  for  a  young  noble 
with  your  brave  attire  and  your  gold  chain ;  and  you  look 
yeai-s  older  than  when  I  last  saw  you.  You  have  grown 
into  a  man ;  but  though  you  have  added  to  your  height 
and  your  breadth  your  cheeks  have  fallen  in  greatly,  and 
your  color  has  well-nigh  faded  away." 

"  I  have  had  two  long  bouts  of  fasting,  Peters,  and 
have  but  just  finished  the  second,     I  am  Captain  Martin 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  309 

now,  by  the  favor  of  the  Prince  of  Orange.  How  are 
they  at  home  ?  and  how  goes  it  with  my  father  ? " 

"  He  is  on  board,  Master  Ned.  This  is  his  first  voyage, 
and  right  glad  we  are,  as  you  may  guess,  to  have  him 
back  again  :  and  joyful  will  he  be  to  see  you.  He  had 
your  letter  safely  tliat  you  wrote  after  the  fall  of  Haar- 
lem, and  it  would  have  done  you  good  if  you  had  heard 
the  cheers  in  the  summer-house  when  he  read  it  out  to 
the  captains  there.  We  had  scarce  thought  we  should 
ever  hear  of  you  again." 

"  I  will  put  up  my  horse  at  the  burgomaster's,  Peters, 
and  come  on  board  with  you  at  once.  I  must  speak  to 
him  first  for  a  few  minutes.  A  messenger  was  sent  off 
on  horseback  last  night  the  moment  the  road  was  opened 
to  say  that  the  Spaniards  had  raised  the  siege  of  Alk- 
maar  ;  but  I  must  give  him  a  few  details." 

"  So  you  have  been  there  too  ?  The  guns  have  heen 
firing  and  the  bells  ringing  all  the  day,  and  the  people 
have  been  well-nigh  out  of  their  minds  with  joy.  They 
had  looked  to  the  Spaniards  coming  here  after  they  had 
finished  with  Alkmaar,  and  you  may  guess  how  joyful 
they  were  when  the  news  came  that  the  villains  were 
going  off  beaten." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Ned  leaped  from  the  quay 
on  to  the  deck  of  the  Good  Venture.  His  father's  de- 
light was  great  as  he  entered  the  cabin,  and  he  was  no 
less  astonished  than  Peters  had  been  at  the  change  that 
a  year  had  made  in  his  appearance. 

"  Why,  Ned,"  he  said,  after  they  had  talked  for  half 
an  hour,  "  I  fear  you  are  getting  much  too  great  a  man 
ever  to  settle  down  again  to  work  here." 

"  Not  at  all,  father,"  Ned  laughed.  "I  have  not  the 
least  idea  of  remaining  permanently  here.  I  love  the 
sea,  and  I  love  England  and  my  home,  and  nothing  would 


310  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

tempt  me  to  give  them  up.  I  cannot  leave  my  present 
work  now.  The  prince  has  been  so  kind  to  me  that  even 
if  I  wished  it  I  could  not  withdraw  from  his  service  now. 
But  I  do  not  wish.  In  another  year,  if  all  the  Dutch 
cities  prove  as  stanch  as  Haarlem  and  Alkmaar  have 
done,  the  Spaniards  will  surely  begin  to  see  that 
their  task  of  subduing  such  a  people  is  a  hopeless 
one.  At  any  rate  I  think  that  I  can  then  very  well 
withdraw  myself  from  the  work  and  follow  my  pro- 
fession again.  I  shall  be  old  enough  then  to  be  your 
second  mate,  and  to  relieve  you  of  much  of  your 
work." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  with  me,"  Captain  Martin 
said.  "  Of  course  I  still  have  the  supercargo,  but  that  is 
not  like  going  ashore  and  seeing  people  one's  self.  How- 
ever, we  can  go  on  as  we  are  for  a  bit.  You  have  been 
striking  a  blow  for  freedom,  lad,  I  mean  to  do  my  best 
to  strike  one  to-morrow  or  next  day." 

«  How  is  that,  father  ?  " 

"  Bossu's  fleet  of  thirty  vessels  are  cruising  off  the 
town,  and  they  have  already  had  some  skirmishes  with 
Dirkzoon's  vessels  ;  but  nothing  much  has  come  of  it 
yet.  The  Spaniards,  although  their  ships  are  much 
larger  and  heavily  armed,  and  more  numerous  too  than 
ours,  do  not  seem  to  have  any  fancy  for  coming  to  close 
quarters  ;  but  there  is  sure  to  be  a  fight  in  a  few  days. 
There  is  a  vessel  in  port  which  will  go  out  crowded  with 
the  fishermen  here  to  take  part  in  the  fight ;  and  I  am 
going  to  fly  the  Dutch  flag  for  once  instead  of  the  Eng- 
lish, and  am  going  to  strike  a  blow  to  pay  them  off  for 
the  murder  of  your  mother's  relations,  to  say  nothing  of 
this,"  and  he  touched  his  wooden  leg.  "  There  are 
plenty  of  men  here  ready  and  willing  to  go,  and  I  have 
tak^n  down  the  names  of  eighty  who  will  sail  with  us  / 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  811 

SO  we  shall  have  a  strong  crew,  and  shall  be  able  to  give 
good  account  of  ourselves." 

"  Can  I  go  with  you,  father?  "  Ned  asked  eagerly. 

"  If  you  like,  lad.  It  will  be  tough  work,  you  know  ; 
for  the  Spaniards  fight  well,  that  cannot  be  denied. 
But  as  you  stood  against  tliem  when  they  have  been 
five  to  one  in  the  breaches  of  Haarlem  and  Alkmaar, 
to  say  nothing  of  our  skirmish  with  them,  you  will 
find  it  a  novelty  to  meet  them  when  the  odds  are  not 
altogether  against  us." 

The  next  day,  the  11th  of  October,  the  patriot  fleet 
were  seen  bearing  down  with  a  strong  easterly  breeze 
upon  the  Spaniards,  who  were  cruising  between  Enkui- 
zen  and  Horn.  All  was  ready  on  board  the  Good  Vent- 
ure and  her  consort.  The  bells  rang,  and  a  swarm  of 
hardy  fishermen  came  pouring  on  board.  In  five  min- 
utes the  sails  were  hoisted,  and  the  two  vessels,  flying  the 
Dutch  flag,  started  amid  the  cheers  of  the  burghers  on 
the  walls  to  take  their  share  in  the  engagement. "  They 
came  up  with  the  enemy  just  as  Dirkzoon's  vessels  en- 
gaged them,  and  at  once  joined  in  the  fray. 

The  patriot  fleet  now  numbered  twenty-five  vessels 
against  the  thirty  Spaniards,  most  of  which  were  greatly 
superior  in  size  to  their  opponents.  The  Dutch  at  once 
maneuvered  to  come  to  close  quarters,  and  the  Spaniards, 
who  had  far  less  confidence  in  themselves  by  sea  than  on 
land,  very  speedily  began  to  draw  out  of  the  fight.  The 
Good  Venture  and  a  Dutch  craft  had  laid  themselves 
alongside  a  large  Spanish  ship,  and  boarded  her  from  both 
sides.  Ned  and  Peters,  followed  by  the  English  sailors, 
clambered  on  board  near  the  stern,  while  the  Dutch  fish- 
ermen, most  of  whom  were  armed  with  heavy  axes, 
boarded  at  the  waist. 

The  Spaniards  fought  but  feebly,  and  no  sooner  did 


812  BF  P1K£!  AND  DYKE. 

the  men  from  the  craft  on  the  other  side  pour  in  and 
board  her  than  they  threw  down  their  arms.  Four  other 
ships  were  taken,  and  the  rest  of  the  Spanish  vessels 
spread  their  sails  and  made  for  Amsterdam,  hotly  pursued 
by  the  Dutch  fleet.  One  huge  Spanish  vessel  alone,  the 
Inquisition,  a  name  that  was  in  itself  an  insult  to  the 
Dutch,  and  which  was  by  far  the  largest  and  best  manned 
vessel  in  the  two  fleets,  disdained  to  fly.  She  was  the 
admiral's  vessel,  and  Bossu,  who  was  himself  a  native  of 
the  Netherlands,  although  deserted  by  his  fleet,  refused 
to  fly  before  his  puny  opponents. 

The  Spaniards  in  the  ships  captured  had  all  been  killed 
or  fastened  below,  and  under  charge  of  small  parties  of 
the  Dutch  sailors  the  prizes  sailed  for  Enkhuizen.  The 
ship  captured  by  the  Good  Venture  had  been  the  last  to 
strike  her  flag,  and  when  she  started  under  her  prize  crew 
there  were  three  smaller  Dutch  ships  besides  the  Good 
Venture  on  the  scene  of  the  late  conflict.  With  a  cheer, 
answered  from  boat  to  boat,  the  four  vessels  sailed  to- 
ward the  Inquisition.  A  well-directed  broadside  from 
the  Spaniards  cut  away  the  masts  out  of  one  of  them, 
and  left  her  in  a  sinking  condition.  The  other  three  got 
alongside  and  gi*appled  with  her. 

So  high  did  she  tower  above  them  that  her  cannon 
were  of  no  avail  to  her  now,  and  locked  closely  together 
the  sailors  and  soldiere  fought  as  if  on  land. 

It  was  a  life  and  death  contest.  Bossu  and  his  men, 
clad  in  coats  of  mail,  stood  with  sword  and  shield  on 
the  deck  of  the  Inquisition  to  repel  all  attempts  to 
board.  The  Dutch  attacked  with  their  favorite  missiles 
— pitch  hoops,  boiling  oil,  and  molten  lead.  Again  and 
again  they  clambered  up  the  lofty  sides  of  the  Inquisition 
and  gained  a  momentary  footing  on  her  deck,  only  to 
be  hurled  down  again  into  their  ships  below.     The  fight 


B  Y  PIKE  AND  D  YKE.  313 

began  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  lasted  till 
darkness.  But  even  this  did  not  terminate  it ;  and  all 
night  Spaniards  and  Dutchmen  grappled  in  deadly  con- 
flict. All  this  time  the  vessels  were  drifting  as  the 
winds  and  tide  took  them,  and  at  last  grounded  on  a 
shoal  called  The  Neck,  near  Wydeness.  Just  as  morn- 
ing was  breaking  John  Haring  of  Horn — the  man  who 
had  kept  a  thousand  at  bay  on  the  Diemar  Dyke,  and 
who  now  commanded  one  of  the  vessels — gained  a  foot- 
ing on  the  deck  of  the  Inquisition  unnoticed  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  hauled  down  her  colors  ;  but  a  moment 
later  he  fell  dead,  shot  through  the  body.  As  soon  as 
it  was  light  the  country  people  came  off  in  boats  and 
joined  in  the  fight,  relieving  their  compatriots  by  carry- 
ing their  killed  and  wounded  on  shore.  They  brought 
fresh  ammunition  as  well  as  men,  and  at  eleven  o'clock 
Admiral  Bossu,  seeing  that  further  resistance  was  use- 
less, and  that  his  ship  was  aground  on  a  hostile  shore, 
his  fleet  dispersed  and  three-quarters  of  his  soldiers  and 
crew  dead  or  disabled,  struck  his  flag  and  surrendered 
with  three  hundred  prisoners. 

He  was  landed  at  Horn,  and  his  captors  had  great 
difficulty  in  preventing  him  from  being  torn  to  pieces 
by  the  populace  in  return  for  the  treacherous  massacre 
at  Rotterdam,  of  which  he  had  been  the  author. 

During  the  long  fight  Ned  Martin  behaved  with  great 
bravery.  Again  and  again  he  and  Peters  had  led  the 
boarders,  and  it  was  only  his  morion  and  breast-piece 
that  had  saved  him  many  times  from  death.  He  had 
been  wounded  several  times,  and  was  so  breathless  and 
hurt  by  his  falls  from  the  deck  that  at  the  end  he  could  no 
longer  even  attempt  to  climb  the  sides  of  the  Spanish 
vessel.  Captain  Martin  was  able  to  take  no  part  in  the 
mel&e.     He  had  at  the  beginning  of  the  fight  taken  up 


314  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

his  post  on  the  taffrail,  and,  seated  there,  had  kept  up 
a  steady  fire  with  a  musket  against  the  Spaniards  as 
they  showed  themselves  above. 

As  soon  as  the  fight  was  over  the  Good  Venture 
sailed  back  to  Enkhuizen.  Five  of  her  own  crew  and 
thirty-eight  of  the  volunteers  on  board  her  had  been 
killed,  and  there  was  scarcely  a  man  who  was  not  more 
or  less  severely  wounded.  The  English  were  received 
with  tremendous  acclamation  by  the  citizens  on  their 
arrival  in  port,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  them 
at  a  meeting  of  the  burghers  in  the  town-hall. 

Ned  sailed  round  in  the  Good  Venture  to  Delft  and 
again  joined  the  Prince  of  Orange  there,  and  was  greatly 
commended  for  his  conduct  at  Alkmaar,  which  had  been 
reported  upon  in  the  most  favorable  terms  by  Sonoy. 
On  learning  the  share  that  the  Good  Venture  had  taken 
in  the  sea-fight,  the  prince  went  on  board  and  warmly 
thanked  Captain  Martin  and  the  crew,  and  distributed 
a  handsome  present  among  the  latter.  Half  an  hour 
after  the  prince  returned  to  the  palace  he  sent  for  Ned. 

"  Did  you  not  say,"  he  asked,  "  that  the  lady  who 
concealed  you  at  Brussels  was  the  Countess  Von 
Harp?" 

"  Yes,  your  highness^  You  have  no  bad  news  of  her, 
I  hope?" 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  have,"  the  prince  replied. 
"  I  have  just  received  a  letter  brought  me  by  a  messenger 
from  a  friend  at  Maastricht.  He  tells  me  among  other 
matters  that  the  countess  and  her  daughter  were  arrested 
there  two  days  since.  They  were  passing  through  in 
disguise,  and  were,  it  was  supposed,  making  for  Ger- 
many, when  it  chanced  that  the  countess  was  recognized 
by  a  man  in  the  service  of  one  of  the  magistrates.  It 
seems  he  had  been  born  on  Von  Harp's  estate,  and  knew 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  315 

the  countess  well  by  sight.  He  at  once  denounced 
her,  and  she  and  her  daughter  and  a  woman  they  had 
with  them  were  thrown  into  prison.  I  am  truly  sorry, 
for  the  count  was  a  great  friend  of  mine,  and  I  met  his 
young  wife  many  times  in  the  happy  days  before  these 
troubles  began." 

Ned  was  greatly  grieved  when  he  heard  of  the  danger 
to  which  the  lady  who  had  behaved  so  kindly  to  him 
was  exposed,  and  an  hour  later  he  again  went  into  the 
prince's  study. 

"  I  have  come  in  to  ask,  sir,  if  you  will  allow  me  to 
be  absent  for  a  time?" 

"  Certainly,  Captain  Martin,"  the  prince  replied. 
"  Are  you  thinking  of  paying  a  visit  to  England  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  I  am  going  to  try  if  I  can  do  anything  to 
get  the  Countess  Von  Harp  out  of  the  hands  of  those 
who  have  captured  her." 

"  But  how  are  you  going  to  do  that  ? "  the  prince 
asked  in  surprise.  "  It  is  one  thing  to  slip  out  of  the 
hands  of  Alva's  minions,  as  you  did  at  Brussels,  but  an- 
other thing  altogether  to  get  two  women  out  of  prison.'* 

"  That  is  so,"  Ned  said ;  "  but  I  rely  much,  sir,  upon 
the  document  which  I  took  a  year  since  from  the  body 
of  Von  Aert's  clerk,  and  which  I  have  carefully  pre- 
served ever  since.  It  bears  the  seal  of  the  Blood  Coun- 
cil, and  is  an  order  to  all  magistrates  to  assist  the  bearer 
in  all  ways  that  he  may  require.  With  the  aid  of  that 
document  I  may  succeed  in  unlocking  the  door  of  the 
prison." 

"  It  is  a  bold  enterprise,"  the  prince  said,  "  and  may 
cost  you  your  life.     Still  I  do  not  say  it  is  impossible." 

"  I  have  also,"  Ned  said,  "  some  order's  for  the  arrest 
of  prisoners.  These  are  not  sealed,  but  bear  the  signa- 
ture of  the  president  of  the  council.    I  shall  go  to  a 


316  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.       ' 

scrivener  and  shall  get  him  to  copy  one  of  them  exactly, 
making  only  the  alteration  that  the  persons  of  the 
Countess  Von  Harp,  her  daughter,  and  servant  are  to 
be  handed  over  to  my  charge  for  conveyance  to  Brussels. 
Alone,  this  document  might  be  suspected  ;  but,  fortified 
as  I  am  by  the  other  with  the  seal  of  the  council,  it  may 
pass  without  much  notice." 

"  Yes,  but  you  would  be  liable  to  detection  by  any 
one  who  has  known  this  man  Genet." 

"  There  is  a  certahi  risk  of  that,"  Ned  replied ;  "  and 
if  any  one  who  knew  him  well  met  me  I  should  of 
course  be  detected.  But  that  is  unlikely.  The  man 
was  about  my  height,  although  somewhat  thinner.  His 
principal  mark  was  a  most  evil  squint  that  he  had,  and 
that  any  one  who  had  once  met  him  would  be  sure  to 
remember.  I  must  practice  crossing  my  eyes  in  the 
same  manner  when  I  present  my  papers." 

The  prince  smiled.  "  Sometimes  you  seem  to  me  a 
man,  Martin,  and  then  again  you  enter  upon  an  under- 
taking with  the  light-heartedness  of  a  boy.  However, 
far  be  it  from  me  to  hinder  your  making  the  attempt. 
It  is  pleasant,  though  rare,  to  see  people  mindful  of 
benefits  bestowed  upon  them,  and  one  is  glad  to  see 
that  gratitude  is  not  altogether  a  lost  virtue.  Go,  my 
lad ;  and  may  God  aid  you  in  your  scheme.  I  will  my- 
self send  for  a  scrivener  at  once  and  give  him  instruc- 
tions ;  it  may  well  be  that  he  would  refuse  to  draw  up 
such  a  document  as  that  you  require  merely  on  your 
order. 

"  Leave  the  order  for  arrest  with  me,  and  I  will  bid 
him  get  a  facsimile  made  in  all .  respects.  You  will  re- 
quire two  or  three  trusty  men  with  you  to  act  as  officials 
under  your  charge.  I  will  give  you  a  letter  to  my  cor- 
respondent in  Maastricht  begging  him  to  provide  some 


^T  PIKE  Aifjb  brits.  8if 

men  on  whom  he  can  rely  for  this  woik.  It  would  be 
difficult  for  you,  a  stranger  in  the  town,  to  put  your  hand 
upon  them." 

The  next  morning  Ned,  provided  with  the  forged 
order  of  release,  started  on  his  journey.  He  was  dis- 
guised as  a  peasant,  and  carried  a  suit  of  clothes  similar 
in  cut  and  fashion  to  those  worn  by  Genet.  He  went 
first  to  Rotterdam,  and  bearing  west  crossed  the  river 
Lek,  and  then  struck  the  Waal  at  Gorichen,  and  there 
hired  a  boat  and  proceeded  up  the  river  to  Nymegen.  He 
then  walked  across  to  Grave,  and  again  taking  boat  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Maas,  past  Venlo  and  Roermond  to  Maas- 
tricht. He  landed  a  few  miles  above  the  town,  and 
changed  his  peasant  clothes  for  the  suit  he  carried  with 
him. 

At  a  farmhouse  he  succeeded  in  buying  ahorse,  saddle, 
and  bridle.  The  animal  was  but  a  poor  one,  but  it  was 
sufficiently  good  for  his  purpose,  as  he  wanted  it  not  for 
speed,  but  only  to  enable  him  to  enter  the  city  on  horse- 
back. Maastricht  was  a  strongly  fortified  city,  and  on 
entering  its  gates  Ned  was  requested  to  show  his  papers. 
He  at  once  produced  the  document  bearing  the  seal  of 
the  council.  This  was  amply  sufficient,  and  he  soon  took 
up  his  quarters  at  an  inn.  His  first  step  was  to  find 
the  person  for  whom  he  bore  the  letter  from  the  prince. 
The  gentleman,  who  was  a  wealthy  merchant,  after 
reading  the  missive  and  learning  from  Ned  the  manner 
in  which  he  could  assist  him,  at  once  promised  to  do  so. 

"  You  require  three  men,  you  say,  dressed  as  officials 
in  the  employment  of  the  council.  The  dress  is  easy 
enough,  for  they  bear  no  special  badge  or  cognizance, 
although  generally  they  are  attired  in  dark-green  doub- 
lets and  trunks  and  red  hose.  There  will  be  no  difficulty 
as  to  the  men  themselves.    The  majority  of  the  towns- 


S18  6f  Pii:E  AND  DYKM. 

men  are  warmly  affected  to  the  patriotic  cause,  and  there 
are  many  who  are  at  heart  Protestants ;  though,  like 
myself,  obliged  to  abstain  from  making  open  confession 
of  their  faith.  At  any  rate,  I  have  three  men  at  least 
upon  whom  I  can  absolutely  rely.  Their  duty,  you  say, 
will  be  simply  to  accompany  you  to  the  prison  and  to 
ride  with  you  with  these  ladies  until  beyond  the  gates. 
They  must,  of  course,  be  mounted,  and  must  each  have 
pillions  for  the  carriage  of  the  prisonei-s  behind  them. 
Once  well  away  from  the  town  they  will  scatter,  leave 
their  horses  at  places  I  shall  appoint,  change  their  clothes 
and  return  into  the  city.  What  do  you  mean  to  do  with 
the  ladies  when  you  have  got  them  free  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  what  their  plans  will  be,  or  where  they 
will  wish  to  go,"  Ned  said.  "  I  should  propose  to  have 
a  vehicle  with  a  pair  of  horses  awaiting  them  two  miles 
outside  the  town.  I  should  say  that  a  country  cart 
would  be  the  least  likely  to  excite  suspicion.  I  would 
have  three  peasants'  dresses  there  with  it.  I  do  not 
know  that  I  can  make  further  provision  for  their  flight, 
as  I  cannot  say  whether  they  will  make  for  the  coast,  or 
try  to  continue  their  journey  across  the  frontier." 

"  You  can  leave  these  matters  to  me,"  the  merchant 
said ;  "  the  cart  and  disguises  shall  be  at  the  appointed 
spot  whenever  you  let  me  know  the  hour  at  which  you 
will  be  there.  You  must  give  me  until  noon  to-morrow 
to  make  all  the  arrangements." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  Ned  said.  "I  am  greatly  obliged 
to  you,  and  the  prince,  who  is  a  personal  friend  of  the 
countess,  will,  I  am  sure,  be  greatly  pleased  when  he 
hears  how  warmly  you  have  entered  into  the  plans  for 
aiding  her  escape.  I  will  present  myself  to  the  magis- 
trates to-morrow  at  noon,  and  obtain  from  them  the  order 
upon  the  governor  of  the  prison  to  hand  the  ladies  over 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  819 

to  me.  If  I  should  succeed  I  will  go  straight  back  to 
my  inn.  If  you  will  place  some  one  near  the  door  there 
to  see  if  I  enter,  which  if  I  succeed  will  be  about  one 
o'clock,  he  can  bring  you  the  news.  I  will  have  my 
horse  brought  round  at  two,  and  at  that  hour  your  men 
can  ride  up  and  join  me,  and  I  will  proceed  with  them 
straight  to  the  prison."  , 


320  BY  PIKE   AND  DYKK 


CHAPTER  XVII 

A  RESCUE. 

At  twelve  o'clock  on  the  following  day  Ned  went 
to  the  town-hall,  and  on  stating  that  he  was  the  bearer 
of  an  order  from  the  council,  was  at  once  shown  into 
the  chamber  in  which  three  of  the  magistrates  were 
sitting. 

"  I  am  the  bearer  of  an  order  from  the  council  for  the 
delivery  to  rae  of  the  persons  of  the  Countess  Von  Harp, 
her  daughter,  and  the  woman  arrested  in  company 
with  them  for  conveyance  to  Brussels,  there  to  an- 
swer the  charges  against  them.  This  is  the  order  of 
the  council  with  their  seal,  ordering  all  magistrates 
to  render  assistance  to  me  as  one  of  their  servants. 
This  is  the  special  order  for  the  handing  over  to  me  of 
the  prisoners  named." 

The  magistrates  took  the  first  order,  glanced  at  it  and 
at  the  seal,  and  perfectly  satisfied  with  this  gave  but  a 
casual  glance  at  that  for  the  transferring  of  tlie  prisoners. 

"  I  think  you  were  about  a  year  since  with  Councilor 
Van  Aert  ?  "  one  of  the  magistrates  said.  Ned  bowed. 
"  By  the  way,  did  I  not  hear  that  you  were  missing,  or 
that  some  misfortune  had  befallen  you  some  months 
since  ?     I  have  a  vague  recollection  of  doing  so." 

"  Yes.  I  was  sorely  maltreated  by  a  band  of  robber 
peasants  who  left  me  for  dead,  but  as  you  see  I  am  now 
completely  recovered." 


BT  PIKE  AND  D TKE.  321 

"  I  suppose  you  have  some  men  with  you  to  escort  the 
prisoners  ?  "  one  of  the  magistrates  asked. 

"  Assuredly,"  Ned  replied.  "  I  have  with  me  three 
men,  behind  whom  the  women  will  ride." 

The  magistrates  countersigned  the  order  upon  the 
governor  of  the  prison  to  hand  over  the  three  prisoners, 
and  gave  it  with  the  letter  of  the  council  to  Ned.  He 
bowed  and  retired. 

"  I  should  not  have  remembered  him  again,"  the  mag- 
istrate who  had  been  the  chief  speaker  said  after  he  had 
left  the  room,  "  had  it  not  been  for  that  villainous  cast 
in  his  eyes.  I  remember  noticing  it  when  he  was  here 
last  time,  and  wondered  that  Von  Aert  should  like  to 
have  a  man  whose  eyes  were  so  crossways  about  him ; 
otherwise  I  do  not  recall  the  face  at  all,  which  is  not  sur- 
prising seeing  that  I  only  saw  him  for  a  minute  or  two, 
and  noticed  nothing  but  that  abominable  squint  of  his." 

Ned  walked  back  to  his  inn,  ordered  his  horse  to  be 
saddled  at  two  o'clock,  and  partook  of  a  hearty  meal. 
Then  paying  his  reckoning  he  went  out  and  mounted 
his  horee.  As  he  did  so  three  men  in  green  doublets 
and  red  hose  rode  up  and  took  their  places  behind  him. 
On  arriving  at  the  prison  he  dismounted,  and  handing 
his  horse  to  one  of  his  followers  entered. 

"  I  have  an  order  from  the  council,  countersigned  by 
the'  magistrates  here,  for  the  delivery  to  me  of  three 
prisoners." 

The  warder  showed  him  into  a  room. 

"  The  governor  is  ill,"  he  said,  "and  confined  to  his 
bed  ;  but  I  will  take  the  order  to  him." 

Ned  was  well  pleased  with  the  news,  for  he  thought 
it  likely  that  Genet  might  have  been  there  before  on 
similar  errands,  and  his  person  be  known  to  the  gover- 
nor.   In  ten  minutes  the  warder  returned. 


322  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

"  The  prisoners  are  without,"  he  said,  "  and  ready  to 
depart." 

Pulling  his  bonnet  well  down  over  his  eyes,  Ned 
went  out  into  the  courtyard. 

"  You  are  to  accompany  me  to  Brussels,  countess," 
he  said  gruflOly.  "  Horses  are  waiting  for  you  with- 
out." 

The  countess  did  not  even  glance  at  the  official  who 
had  thus  come  to  convey  her  to  what  was  in  all  proba- 
bility death,  but  followed  through  the  gate  into  the 
street.  The  men  backed  their  horses  up  to  the  block 
of  stone  used  for  mounting.  Ned  assisted  the  females 
to  the  pillions,  and  when  they  were  seated  mounted  his 
own  horse  and  led  the  way  down  the  street.  Many  of 
the  people  as  they  passed  along  groaned  or  hooted,  for 
the  feeling  in  Maastricht  was  strongly  in  favor  of  the 
patriot  side,  a  feeling  for  which  they  were  some  years 
later  to  be  punished  by  the  almost  total  destruction  of 
the  city,  and  the  slaughter  of  the  greater  portion  of  its 
inhabitants. 

Ned  paid  no  attention  to  these  demonstrations,  but 
quickening  his  horse  into  a  trot  rode  along  the  street 
and  out  of  the  gate  of  the  city.  As  the  road  was  a 
frequented  one,  he  maintained  his  place  at  the  head  of 
the  party  until  they  had  left  the  city  nearly  two  miles 
behind  them.  On  arriving  at  a  small  cross-road  one  of 
the  men  said  :  "  This  is  the  way,  sir  ;  it  is  up  this  road 
that  the  cart  is  in  waiting."  Ned  now  reined  back  his 
horse  to  the  side  of  that  on  which  the  countess  was 
riding. 

"  Countess,"  he  said,  "  have  you  forgotten  the  Eng- 
lish lad  you  aided  a  year  ago  in  Brussels  ?" 

The  countess  started. 

"  I  recognize  you  now,  sir,"  she  said  coldly  ;   "  and 


Bt  Pike  and  dtkk  323 

little  did  I  think  at  that  time  that  I  should  next  see 
you  as  an  officer  of  the  Council  of  Blood." 

Ned  smiled. 

"  Your  mistake  is  a  natural  one,  countess ;  but  in 
point  of  fact  I  am  still  in  the  service  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange,  and  have  only  assumed  this  garb  as  a  means  of 
getting  you  and  your  daughter  out  of  the  hands  of  those 
murderers.  I  am  happy  to  say  that  you  are  free  to  go 
where  you  will ;  these  good  fellows  are  like  myself,  dis- 
guised, and  are  at  your  service.  In  a  few  minutes  we 
shall  come  to  a  cart  which  will  take  you  wheresoever 
you  like  to  go,  and  there  are  disguises  similar  to  those 
with  which  you  once  fitted  me  out  in  readiness  for  you 
there." 

The  surprise  of  the  countess  for  a  moment  kept  her 
silent ;  but  Gertrude,  who  had  overheard  what  was 
said,  burst  into  exclamations  of  delight. 

"  Pardon  me  for  having  doubted  you,"  the  countess 
exclaimed,  much  affected. 

"  No  pardon  is  required,  countess.  Seeing  that  the 
prison  authorities  Handed  you  over  to  me,  you  could 
not  but  have  supposed  that  I  was,  as  I  seemed,  in  the 
service  of  the  council." 

Just  at  this  moment  they  came  upon  a  cart  drawn  up 
by  the  roadside.  Ned  assisted  the  countess  and  her 
daughter  to  alight,  and  while  he  was  rendering  similar 
assistance  to  the  old  servant,  mother  and  daughter  threw 
themselves  into  each  other's  arms,  and  wept  with  de- 
light at  this  unexpected  delivery  that  had  befallen 
them.  It  was  some  time  before  they  were  sufficiently 
recovered  to  speak. 

"  But  how  do  you  come  here  ?"  the  countess  asked 
Ned,  "  and  how  have  you  effected  this  miracle  ?" 

Ned  briefly  related  how  he  had  heard  of  their  captiv- 


324  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ity,  and  the  maimer  in  which  he  had  been  enabled  to 
effect  their  escape. 

"  And  now,  countess,"  he  said,  "  the  day  is  wearing 
on,  and  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  at  once  decide 
upon  your  plans.  Will  you  again  try  to  make  to  the 
German  frontier,  or  to  the  seacoast,  or  remain  in  hiding 
here?" 

"  We  cannot  make  for  Germany  without  again  cross- 
ing the  Maas,"  the  countess  said,  "  and  it  is  a  long  way 
to  the  seacoast.     What  say  you,  Magdalene  ?" 

"  I  think,"  the  old  woman  said,  "  that  you  had  best 
carry  out  the  advice  I  gave  before.  It  is  a  little  more 
than  twelve  miles  from  here  to  the  village  where,  as  I 
told  you,  I  have  relations  living.  We  can  hire  a  house 
there,  and  there  is  no  chance  of  your  being  recognized. 
I  can  send  a  boy  thence  to  Brussels  to  fetch  the  jewels 
and  money  you  left  in  charge  of  your  friend  the  Count 
Von  Dort  there." 

"  That  will  certainly  be  the  best  way,  Magdalene. 
We  can  wait  there  until  either  there  is  some  change  in 
the  state  of  affairs,  or  until  we  can  find  some  safe  way 
of  escape.  It  is  fortunate,  indeed,  that  I  left  my  jewels 
in  Brussels,  instead  of  taking  them  with  me  as  I  had  at 
first  intended.  It  will  hardly  be  necessary,  will  it," 
she  asked  Ned,  "to  put  on  the  disguises,  for  nothing  in 
the  world  can  be  simpler  than  our  dresses  at  present  ?" 

"  You  had  certainly  best  put  the  peasant  cloaks  and 
caps  on.  Inquiries  are  sure  to  be  made  all  thi-ough  the 
country  when  they  find  at  Maastricht  how  they  have 
been  tricked.  Three  peasant  women  in  a  cart  will  at- 
tract no  attention  whatever,  even  in  passing  through 
villages ;  but,  dressed  as  you  are  now,  some  one  might 
notice  you  and  recall  it  if  inquiries  were  made." 

The  three  men  who  had  aided  in  the  scheme  had  rid- 


j?r  PIKE  AND  DTKS.  325 

den  off  as  soon  as  the  cart  was  reached,  and  Ned,  being 
anxious  that  the  party  should  be  upon  their  way,  and 
desirous,  too,  of  avoiding  the  expressions  of  gratitude 
of  the  three  women,  hurried  them  into  the  cart.  It 
was  not  necessary  for  them  to  change  their  garments, 
as  the  peasants'  cloaks  completely  enveloped  them,  and 
the  high  headdresses  quite  changed  their  appearance. 

"  Do  not  forget,  countess,  I  hope  some  day  to  see  you 
in  England,"  Ned  said  as  they  took  their  seats. 

"  I  will  not  forget,"  the  countess  said ;  "  and  only 
wish  that  at  present  I  was  on  my  way  thither." 

After  a  warm  farewell,  and  seeing  the  cart  fairly  on 
its  way,  Ned  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  northwest. 
He  slept  that  night  at  Heerenthals,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing night  at  Bois-le-Duc.  Here  he  sold  his  horse  for  a  few 
crowns,  and  taking  boat  proceeded  down  the  Dommel 
into  the  Maas,  and  then  on  to  Rotterdam.  On  his  ar- 
rival at  Delft  he  was  heartily  welcomed  by  the  prince  ; 
who  was  greatly  pleased  to  hear  that  he  liad,  without 
any  accident  or  hitch,  carried  out  successfully  tlie  plan 
he  had  proposed  to  himself.  Three  weeks  later  the 
prince  heard  from  his  correspondent  at  Maastricht. 
The  letter  was  cautiously  worded,  as  were  all  those 
interchanged,  lest  it  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Spanish. 

"  There  has  been  some  excitement  here.  A  week 
since  a  messenger  arrived  from  Brussels  with  orders 
that  three  female  prisoners  confined  here  should  be  sent 
at  once  to  Brussels  ;  but  curiously  enough  it  was  found 
that  the  three  prisoners  in  question  had  been  handed 
over  upon  the  receipt  of  a  previous  order.  This  is  now 
pronounced  to  be  a  forgery,  and  it  is  evident  that  the 
authorities  have  been  tricked.  There  has  been  much 
search   and   inquiry,  but   no   clue  whatever  has  been 


32^  BY  PIKE  AND  BYKH. 

obtained  as  to  the  direction  taken  by  the  fugitives,  or 
concerning  those  engaged  in  this  impudent  adventure." 

Alva's  reign  of  terror  and  cruelty  was  now  drawing 
to  an  end.  His  successor  was  on  his  way  out,  and  the 
last  days  of  his  administration  were  embittered  by  the 
failure  of  his  plans,  the  retreat  of  his  army  from  before 
Alkraaar,  and  the  naval  defeat  from  the  Zuider-Zee. 
But  he  continued  his  cruelties  to  the  end.  Massacres 
on  a  grand  scale  were  soon  carried  on,  and  a  nobleman 
named  Uitenhoove,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner,  was 
condemned  to  be  roasted  to  death  before  a  slow  fire,  and 
was  accordingly  fastened  by  a  chain  to  a  stake,  around 
which  a  huge  fire  was  kindled  ;  he  suffered  in  slow  tor- 
ture a  long  time  until  despatched  by  the  executioner 
with  a  spear,  a  piece  of  humanity  that  greatly  angered 
the  duke. 

Alva  had  contracted  an  enormous  amount  of  debt, 
both  public  and  private,  in  Amsterdam,  and  now  caused 
a  proclamation  to  be  issued  that  all  persons  having  de- 
mands upon  him  were  to  present  their  claims  on  a  certain 
day.  On  the  previous  night  he  and  his  train  noiselessly 
took  their  departure.  The  heavy  debts  remained 
unpaid,  and  many  opulent  families  were  reduced  to 
beggary.  Such  was  the  result  of  the  confidence  of  the 
people  of  Amsterdam  in  the  honor  of  their  tyrant. 

On  the  17th  of  November  Don  Louis  de  Requesens, 
Grand  Commander  of  St.  Jago,  Alva's  successor,  ar- 
rived in  Brussels;  and  on  the  18th  of  December  the 
Duke  of  Alva  left.  H«  is  said  to  have  boasted,  on  his 
way  home,  that  he  had  caused  eighteen  thousand  in- 
habitants of  the  provinces  to  be  executed  during  the 
period  of  his  government.  This  was,  however,  a  mere 
nothing  to  the  number  who  had  perished  in  battle, 
siege,  starvation,  and  massacre.     After  the  departure 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  327 

of  their  tyrant  the  people  of  the  Netherlands  breathed 
more  freely,  for  they  hoped  that  under  their  new  gov- 
enor,  there  would  be  a  remission  in  the  terrible  agony 
they  had  suffered;  and  for  a  time  his  proclamations 
were  of  a  conciliatory  nature.  But  it  was  soon  seen  that 
there  was  no  change  in  policy.  Peace  was  to  be 
given  only  on  the  condition  of  all  Protestants  recanting 
or  leaving  their  country. 

The  first  military  effort  of  the  new  governor  was  to 
endeavor  to  relieve  the  city  of  Middelburg,  the'  capital 
of  the  Island  of  Walcheren,  which  had  long  been  be- 
sieged by  the  Protestants.  Mondragon  the  governor 
was  sorely  pressed  by  famine,  and  could  hold  out  but 
little  longer,  unless  rescue  came.  The  importance  of 
the  city  was  felt  by  both  parties.  Requesens  himself 
went  to  Bergen-op-Zoom,  where  seventy-five  ships  were 
collected  under  the  command,  nominally,  of  Admiral  de 
Glines,  but  really  under  that  of  Julian  Romero,  while 
another  fleet  of  thirty  ships  was  assembled  at  Antwerp, 
under  D'Avila,  and  moved  down  toward  Flushing,  there 
to  await  the  arrival  of  that  of  Romero.  Upon  the  other 
hand,  the  Prince  of  Orange  collected  a  powerful  fleet 
under  the  command  of  Admiral  Boisot,  and  himself  paid 
a  visit  to  the  ships,  and  assembling  the  oflBcers  roused 
them  to  enthusiasm  by  a  stirring  address. 

On  the  20th  of  January  the  Good  Venture  again  en- 
tered the  port  of  Delft  and  hearing  that  a  battle  was 
expected  in  a  few  da3's.  Captain  Martin  determined  to 
take  part  in  it.  As  soon  as  he  had  unloaded  his  cargo 
he  called  the  crew  together  and  informed  them  of  his 
determination,  but  said  as  this  was  no  quarrel  of  theirs, 
any  who  chose  could  remain  on  shore  until  his  return. 

But  Englishmen  that  felt  that  the  cause  of  Holland  was 
their  own,  and  not  a  single  man  fin  board  availed  him- 


328  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

self  of  this  permission.  Ned  informed  the  Prince  of 
Orange  of  his  father's  intention,  and  asked  leave  to  ac- 
company him. 

"  Assuredly  you  may  go  if  you  please,"  the  prince 
said ;  "  but  I  fear  that,  sooner  or  later,  the  fortune  of 
war  will  deprive  me  of  you,  and  I  should  miss  you 
much.  Moreover  almost  every  sailor  in  port  is  already 
in  one  or  other  of  Boisot's  ships  ;  and  I  fear  that,  with 
your  weak  crew,  you  would  have  little  chance  if  en- 
gaged with  one  of  these  Spanish  ships  full  of  men." 

"  We  have  enough  to  work  our  cannon,  sir."  Ned 
said  ;  "  besides,  I  think  we  may  be  able  to  beat  up  some 
volunteers.  There  are  many  English  ships  in  port 
waiting  for  cargoes,  which  come  in  but  slowly,  and  I 
doubt  not  tliat  some  of  them  will  gladly  strike  a  blow 
against  the  Spaniards." 

Ned  and  Peters  accordingly  went  round  among  the 
English  vessels,  and  in  the  course  of  two  hours  had  col- 
lected a  hundred  volunteers.  In  those  days  every  Eng- 
lishman regarded  a  Spaniard  as  a  natural  enemy.  Drake 
and  Hawkins,  and  other  valiant  captains,  were  warring 
fiercely  against  them  in  the  Indian  seas,  and  officers  and 
men  in  the  ships  in  Delft  were  alike  eager  to  join  in  the 
forthcoming  struggle  against  them. 

The  Good  Venture  had,  flying  the  Dutch  flag,  joined 
Boisot's  fleet  at  Romerswael,  a  few  miles  below  Bergen, 
on  the  27th  of  January  ;  and  when  the  Hollanders  be- 
came aware  of  the  nationality  of  the  vessel  which  had 
just  joined  them,  they  welcomed  them  with  tremendous 
cheers.  Two  days  later  the  fleet  of  Romero  were  seen 
coming  down  the  river  in  three  divisions.  When  the 
first  of  the  Spanish  ships  came  near  they  delivered  a 
broadside,  which  did  considerable  execution  among  the 
Dutch  fleet.      There  Vas  no  time  for  further  cannon. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  829 

ading.  A  few  minutes  later  the  fleets  met  in  the  narrow 
channel,  and  the  ships  grappling  with  each  other,  a  hand 
to  hand  struggle  began. 

The  fighting  was  of  the  most  desperate  character;  no 
quarter  was  asked  or  given  on  either  side,  and  men 
fought  with  fury  hand  to  hand  upon  decks  slippery 
with  blood.  But  the  combat  did  not  last  long.  The  Span- 
iards had  little  confidence  in  themselves  on  board  ship. 
Their  discipline  was  now  of  little  advantage  to  them, 
and  the  savage  fury  with  which  the  Zeelandei-s  fought 
shook  their  courage.  Fifteen  ships  were  speedily  cap- 
tured and  twelve  hundred  Spaniards  slain,  and  the  re- 
mainder of  the  fleet,  which,  on  account  of  the  narrow- 
ness of  the  passage  had  not  been  able  to  come  into 
action,  retreated  to  Bergen. 

Romero  himself,  whose  ship  had  grounded,  sprang 
out  of  a  port  hole  and  swam  ashore,  and  landed  at  the 
very  feet  of  the  Grand  Commander,  who  had  been 
standing  all  day  upon  the  dyke  in  the  midst  of  a  pour- 
ing rain,  only  to  be  a  witness  of  the  total  defeat  of  his 
fleet.  Mondragon  now  capitulated,  receiving  honorable 
conditions.  The  troops  were  allowed  to  leave  the  place 
with  their  arms,  ammunition  and  personal  property,  and 
Mondragon  engaged  himself  to  procure  the  release  of 
Sainte  Aldegonde  and  four  other  prisoners  of  rank,  or 
to  return  and  give  himself  up  as  a  prisoner  of  war. 

Requesens,  however,  neither  granted  the  release  of 
the  prisoners,  nor  permitted  Mondragon  to  return.  It 
was  well  for  these  prisoners,  that  Bossu  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  prince.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  they 
would  have  all  been  put  to  death. 

With  the  fall  of  Middlebuigh  the  Dutch  and  Zee- 
landers  remained  mastera  of  the  entire  line  of  seacoast, 
but  on  land  the  situation  was   still  perilous.      Leyden 


330  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

was  closely  invested,  and  all  communications  by  land  be- 
tween the  various  cities  suspended.  The  sole  hope  that 
remained  was  in  the  army  raised  by  Count  Louis. 

He  had  raised  three  thousand  cavalry  and  six  thou- 
sand infantry,  and,  accompanied  by  the  princes'  other 
two  brothers,  crossed  the  Rhine  in  a  snow-storm  and 
marched  toward  Maastricht.  The  Prince  of  Orange  had 
on  his  part  with  the  greatest  difficulty  raised  six 
thousand  infantry,  and  wrote  to  Count  Louis  to  move  to 
join  him  in  the  Isle  of  Bommel  after  he  had  reduced 
Maastricht.  But  the  expedition,  like  those  before  it, 
was  destined  to  failure.  A  thousand  men  deserted, 
sev6n  hundred  more  were  killed  in  a  night  surprise,  and 
the  rest  were  mutinous  for  their  pay.  Finally,  Count 
Louis  found  himself  confronted  by  a  force  somewhat  in- 
ferior in  numbers  to  his  own. 

But  the  Spanish  infantry  were  well  disciplined  and 
obedient,  those  of  Louis  mere  mercenaries  and  discon- 
tented ;  and  although  atfiret  his  cavalry  gained  an  advan> 
tage,  it  was  a  short  one,  and  after  a  fierce  action  his 
army  was  entirely  defeated.  Count  Louis,  finding  that 
the  day  was  lost,  gathered  a  little  band  of  troopers,  and 
with  his  brother,  Count  Henry,  and  Christopher,  son  of 
the  Elector  Palatine,  charged  into  the  midst  of  the  en- 
emy. They  were  never  heard  of  more.  The  battle  ter. 
minated  in  a  horrible  butchery.  At  least  four  thousand 
men  were  either  killed  on  the  field,  suffocated  in  the 
marshes,  drowned  in  the  river,  or  burned  in  the  farm- 
houses in  which  they  had  taken  refuge.  Count  Louis, 
his  brother,  and  friend,  probably  fell  on  the  field,  but 
stripped  of  their  clothing,  disfigured  by  wounds  and  the 
trampling  of  horses,  their  bodies  were  never  recognized. 

The  defeat  of  the  army  and  the  death  of  his  two  brave 
brothers  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  Prince  of  Orange.  He 


^t  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  331 

was  indeed  paying  dear  for  his  devotion  to  his  country. 
His  splendid  fortune  had  been  entirely  spent,  his  life 
had  been  one  of  incessant  toil  and  anxiety  his  life  had 
been  several  times  threatened  with  assassination,  he  had 
seen  his  every  plan  thwarted,  Save  on  the  sandy  slip 
of  coast  by  the  ocean,  the  whole  of  the  Netherlands  was 
still  prostrate  beneath  the  foot  of  the  Spaniard ;  and 
now  he  had  lost  two  of  his  brothers.  England  and 
France  had  alternately  encouraged  and  stood  aloof  from 
him,  and  after  all  these  efforts  and  sacrifices  the  pros- 
pects of  ultimate  success  were  gloomy  in  the  extreme. 

Fortunately  the  Spaniards  were  not  able  to  take  full 
advantage  of  their  victory  over  the  army  of  Count 
Louis.  They  differed  from  the  German  mercenaries 
inasmuch  that  while  the  latter  mutinied  before  they 
fought,  the  Spaniards  fought  first  and  mutinied  after- 
ward. Having  won  a  great  battle,  they  now  proceeded 
to  defy  their  generals.  Three  years'  pay  were  due  to 
them,  and  they  took  the  steps  that  they  always  adopted 
upon  these  occasions.  A  commander  called  the  "Elet- 
to"  was  chosen  by  acclamation,  a  board  of  councilors 
was  appointed  to  assist  and  control  him,  while  the  coun- 
cilors were  narrowly  watched  by  the  soldiers.  They 
crossed  the  Maas  and  marched  to  Antwerp. 

An  offer  was  accordingly  made  of  ten  months*  arrears 
in  cash,  five  months  in  silks  and  woolen  cloths,  and  the 
rest  in  promises  to  be  fulfilled  within  a  few  days.  The 
Eletto  declared  that  he  considered  the  terms  satisfacto- 
ry, whereupon  the  troops  at  once  deposed  him  and  elect- 
ed another.  Carousing  and  merry-making  went  on  at 
the  expense  of  the  citizens,  and  after  suffering  for  some 
weeks  from  the  extortions  and  annoyance  of  the  sol- 
diers, the  four  hundred  thousand  crowns  demanded  by 
Reqnesens  were  paid  over,  and  the  soldiers  received  all 


332  -Br  PIKE  AND  DTKH. 

their  pay  due  either  in  money  or  goods.  A  great  ban- 
quet was  lield  by  the  whole  mass  of  soldiery,  and  there 
was  a  scene  of  furious  revelry.  The  soldiers  arrayed 
themselves  in  costumes  cut  from  the  materials  they  had 
just  received.  Broadcloths,  silks,  satins  and  gold  em- 
broidered brocades  were  hung  in  fantastic  drapery  over 
their  ragged  garments,  and  when  the  banquet  was  fin- 
ished gambling  began. 

But  when  they  were  in  the  midst  of  their  revelry  the 
sound  of  cannon  was  heard.  Boisot  had  sailed  up  the 
Scheldt  to  attack  the  fleet  of  D'Avila,  which  had  has- 
tened up  to  Antwerp  for  refuge  after  the  defeat  of  that 
of  Romero.  There  was  a  short  and  sharp  action,  and 
fourteen  of  the  Spanish  ships  were  burned  or  sunk.  The 
soldiers  swarmed  down  to  the  dyke  and  opened  a  fire 
of  musketry  upon  the  Dutch.  They  were,  however, 
too  far  off  to  effect  any  damage,  and  Boisot,  with  a  few 
parting  broadsides,  sailed  triumphantly  down  the  river, 
having  again  struck  a  heavy  blow  at  the  naval  power 
of  Spain. 

The  siege  of  Leyden  had  been  raised  when  Count 
Louis  crossed  the  Rhine,  the  troops  being  called  in 
from  all  parts  to  oppose  his  progress.  The  Prince  of 
Orange  urged  upon  the  citizens  to  lose  no  time  in  pre- 
paring themselves  for  a  second  siege,  to  strengthen 
their  walls,  and,  above  all,  to  lay  in  stores  of  provisions. 
But,  as  ever,  the  Dutch  burghers,  although  ready  to 
fight  and  to  suffer  when  tlie  pinch  came,  were  slow  and 
apathetic  unless  in  face  of  necessity  ;  and  in  spite  of  the 
orders  and  entreaties  of  the  prince,  notliing  whatever 
was  done,  and  the  Spaniards  when  they  returned  before 
the  city  on  the  26th  of  May,  after  two  months'  absence, 
found  the  town  as  unprepared  for  resistance  as  it  had 
been  at  their  fii*st  coming,  and  that  the  citizens  had  not 


p.  &.  D.         There  was  a  Scene  qf  Furious  Revelry.— Page  33a. 


BT  PIKE  AND  DTKS.  883 

even  taken  the  trouble  to  destroy  the  forts  that  they  had 
raised  round  it. 

Leyden  stood  in  the  midst  of  broad  and  fruitful  pas- 
tures reclaimed  from  the  sea;  around  were  numerous 
villages,  with  blooming  gardens  and  rich  orchards.  In- 
numerable canals  cut  up  the  country,  and  entering  the 
city  formed  its  streets.  These  canals  were  shaded  with 
trees,  crossed  by  a  hundred  and  forty-five  bridges. 
Upon  an  artificial  elevation  in  the  center  of  the  city 
rose  a  ruined  tower  of  great  antiquity,  either  assigned 
to  the  Saxons  before  they  crossed  to  England,  or  with 
greater  probability  to  the  Romans. 

The  force  which  now  appeared  before  the  town  con- 
sisted of  eight  thousand  Walloons'  and  Germans,  com- 
manded by  Valdez.  They  lost  no  time  in  taking  pos- 
session of  the  Hague,  and  all  the  villages  and  forts 
round  Leyden.  Five  hundred  English  volunteers  un- 
der command  of  Colonel  Chester  abandoned  the  fort  of 
Valkenberg  which  had  been  intrusted  to  them  and  fled 
toward  Leyden.  Not  as  yet  had  the  English  soldiers 
learned  to  stand  before  the  Spaniards,  but  the  time 
was  ere  long  to  come  when,  having  acquired  confidence 
in  themselves,  they  were  to  prove  themselves  more  than 
a  match  for  the  veterans  of  Spain.  The  people  of 
Leyden  refused  to  open  their  gates  to  the  fugitives,  and 
they  surrendered  to  Valdez.  As  at  that  moment  a 
mission  was  on  the  point  of  starting  from  Requesens 
to  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  lives  of  the  prisoners  were 
spared,  and  they  were  sent  back  to  England. 


n34  ^T  PLKH  AND  DYKE. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   SIEGE   OF  -LEYDEN. 

The  Spaniards  had  no  sooner  appeared  before  Leyden 
than  they  set  to  work  to  surround  it  with  a  cordon  of 
redoubts.  No  less  than  sixty-two,  including  those  left 
standing  since  the  last  siege,  were  erected  and  garri- 
soned, and  the  town  was  therefore  cut  off  from  all  com- 
munication from  without.  Its  defenders  were  few  in 
number,  there  being  no  troops  in  the  town  save  a  small 
corps  composed  of  exiles  from  other  cities,  and  five 
companies  of  burgher  guard.  The  walls,  however,  were 
strong,  and  it  was  famine  rather  than  the  foe  that  the 
citizens  feared.  They  trusted  to  the  courage  of  the 
burghers  to  hold  the  walls  and  to  the  energy  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange  to  relieve  them. 

The  prince,  although  justly  irritated  by  their  folly  in 
neglecting  to  carry  out  his  orders,  sent  a  message  by  a 
pigeon  to  them,  encouraging  them  to  hold  out,  and  re- 
minding them  that  the  fate  of  their  country  depended 
upon  the  issue  of  this  siege.  He  implored  them  to  hold 
out  for  at  least  three  months,  assuring  them  that  he 
would  within  that  time  devise  means  for  their  deliver- 
ance. The  citizens  replied,  assuring  the  prince  of  their 
firm  confidence  in  their  own  fortitude  and  his  exertions. 

On  the  6th  of  June  the  Grand  Commander  issued 
what  was  called  a  pardon,  signed  and  sealed  by  the  king. 
In  it  he  invited  all  his  erring  and  repentant  subjects  to 
return   to  his  arms,  and  accept  a  full  forgiveness  for 


JBY  PIKE  AND  DYKk.  335 

their  past  offense  upon  the  sole  condition  that  they 
sliould  once  more  enter  the  Catholic  Church.  A  few 
individuals  mentioned  by  name  were  alone  excluded 
from  this  amnesty.  But  all  Holland  was  now  Protes- 
tant, and  its  inhabitants  were  resolved  that  they  must 
not  only  be  conquered  but  annihilated  before  the  Roman 
Church  should  be  re-established  on  their  soil.  In  the 
whole  province  but  two  men  came  forward  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  amnesty.  Many  Netherlanders  belong- 
ing to  the  king's  party  sent  letters  from  the  camp  to 
their  acquaintances  in  the  city  exhorting  them  to  sub- 
mission, and  imploring  them  "  to  take  pity  upon  their 
poor  old  fathers,  their  daughters,  and  their  wives  ;"  but 
the  citizens  of  Leyden  thought  the  best  they  could  do 
for  these  relatives  was  to  keep  them  out  of  the  clutches 
of  the  Spaniards. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  siege  the  citizens  gath- 
ered all  their  food  into  the  magazines,  and  at  the  end 
of  June  the  daily  allowance  to  each  full-grown  man 
was  half  a  pound  of  meat  and  half  a  pound  of  bread, 
women  and  children  receiving  less. 

The  prince  had  his  headquarters  at  Delft  and  Rotter- 
dam, and  an  important  fortress  called  the  Polderwaert, 
between  these  two  cities,  secured  him  the  control  of  the 
district  watered  by  the  rivers  Yssel  and  Maas.  On  the 
29th  of  June  the  Spaniards  attacked  this  fort,  but  were 
beaten  off  with  a  loss  of  seven  hundred  men.  The 
prince  was  now  occupied  in  endeavoring  to  persuade  the 
Dutch  authorities  to  permit  the  great  sluices  at  Rotter- 
dam, Schiedam,  and  Delft-Haven  to  be  opened.  The 
damage  to  the  country  would  be  enormous  ;  but  there 
was  no  other  course  to  rescue  Leyden,  and  with  it  the 
whole  of  Holland,  from  destruction. 

It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  July  that  his  eloquent 


336  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

appeak  and  arguments  prevailed,  and  the  estates  con- 
sented to  his  plan.  Subscriptions  were  opened  in  all 
the  Dutch  towns  for  maintaining  the  inhabitants  of  the 
district  that  was  to  be  submerged  until  it  could  be 
again  restored,  and  a  large  sum  was  raised,  the  women 
contributing  their  plate  and  jewelry  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  scheme.  On  the  8d  of  August  all  was  ready, 
and  the  prince  himself  superintended  the  breaking  down 
of  the  dykes  in  sixteen  places,  while  at  the  same  time 
the  sluices  at  Schiedam  and  Rotterdam  were  opened 
and  the  water  began  to  pour  over  the  land. 

While  waiting  for  the  water  to  rise,  stores  of  provi- 
sions were  collected  in  all  the  principal  towns,  and  two 
hundred  vessels  of  small  draught  of  water  gathered  in 
readiness.  Unfortunately  no  sooner  had  the  work  been 
done  than  the  prince  was  attacked  by  a  violent  fever, 
brought  on  by  anxiety  and  exertion. 

On  the  21st  of  August  a  letter  was  received  from  the 
town  saying  that  they  had  now  fulfilled  their  original 
promise,  for  they  had  held  out  two  months  with  food 
and  another  month  without  food.  Their  bread  had  long 
been  gone,  and  their  last  food,  some  malt  cake,  would 
last  but  four  days.  After  that  was  gone  there  was 
nothing  left  but  starvation. 

Upon  the  same  day  they  received  a  letter  from  the 
prince,  assuring  them  that  the  dykes  were  all  pierced 
and  the  water  rising  upon  the  great  dyke  that  separated 
the  city  from  the  sea.  The  letter  was  read  publicly  in 
the  market-place,  and  excited  the  liveliest  joy  among 
the  inhabitants.  Bands  of  music  played  in  the  streets, 
and  salvos  of  cannon  were  fired.  The  Spaniards  became 
uneasy  at  seeing  the  country  beyond  them  gradually 
becoming  covered  with  water,  and  consulted  the  country 
people   and   the  royalists   in  their  camp,  all  of  whom 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  337 

assured  them  that  the  enterprise  of  the  prince  was  an 
impossibility,  and  that  the  water  would  never  reach  the 
walls. 

The  hopes  of  the  besieged  fell  again,  however,  as 
day  after  day  passed  without  change ;  and  it  was  not 
until  the  1st  of  September,  when  the  prince  began  to  re- 
cover from  his  fever,  and  was  personally  able  to  superin- 
tend the  operations,  that  these  began  in  earnest.  The 
distance  from  Leyden  to  the  outer  dyke  was  fifteen 
miles ;  ten  of  these  were  already  flooded,  and  the  flotilla, 
which  consisted  of  more  than  two  hundred  vessels, 
manned  in  all  with  two  thousand  five  hundred  veter- 
ans, including  eight  hundred  of  the  wild  sea  beggars  of 
Zeeland,  renowned  as  much  for  their  ferocity  as  for 
nautical  skill,  started  on  their  way,  and  reached  without 
difficulty  the  great  dyke  called  the  Land-scheiding. 
Between  this  town  and  Leyden  were  several  other 
d^'^kes,  all  of  which  would  have  to  be  taken.  All  these, 
besides  the  sixty-two  forts,  were  defended  by  .the 
Spanish  troops,  four  times  the  number  of  the  relieving 
force. 

Ned  had  been  in  close  attendance  upon  the  prince 
during  his  illness,  and  when  the  fleet  was  ready  to  start 
requested  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  accompany  it. 
This  the  prince  at  once  granted,  and  introduced  him  to 
Admiral  Boisot. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  take  Captain  Martin  in 
your  own  ship,"  he  said.  "  Young  as  he  is  he  has  seen 
much  service,  and  is  full  of  resource  and  invention. 
You  will,  I  am  sure,  find  him  of  use  ;  and  he  can  act 
as  messenger  to  convey  your  orders  from  ship  to  ship. 

The  prince  had  given  ordera  that  the  Land-scheiding, 
whose  top  was  still  a  foot  and  a  half  above  water, 
should  be  taken  possession  of  at  all  hazard,  and  this  was 

33 


338  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

accomplished  by  surprise  on  the  night  of  the  tenth. 
The  Spaniards  stationed  there  were  either  killed  or 
driven  off,  and  the  Dutch  fortified  themselves  upon  it. 
At  daybreak  the  Spaniards  stationed  in  two  large 
villages  close  by  advanced  to  recover  the  important 
position,  but  the  Dutcli,  fighting  desperately,  drove 
them  back  with  the  loss  of  some  hundreds  of  men.  The 
dyke  was  at  once  cut  through  and  the  fleet  sailed 
through  the  gap. 

The  admiral  had  believed  that  tlie  Land-scheiding 
once  cut,  the  water  would  flood  the  country  as  far  as 
Leyden,  but  another  dyke,  the  Greenwa}-,  rose  a  foot 
above  water  three-quarters  of  a  mile  inside  the  Land- 
scheiding.  As  soon  as  the  water  had  risen  over  the 
land  sufficiently  to  float  the  ships,  the  fleet  advanced, 
seized  the  Greenway,  and  cut  it.  But  as  the  water  ex- 
tended in  all  directions,  it  grew  also  shallower,  and  the 
admiral  found  that  the  only  way  by  which  he  could  ad- 
vance was  by  a  deep  canal  leading  to  a  large  mere  called 
the  Fresh  Water  Lake. 

This  canal  was  crossed  by  a  bridge,  and  its  sides  were 
occupied  by  three  tliousand  Spanish  soldiers.  Boisot 
endeavored  to  force  the  way  but  found  it  impossible  to  do 
so,  and  was  obliged  to  withdraw.  He  was  now  almost 
despairing.  He  had  accomplished  but  two  miles,  the 
water  was  sinking  rather  than  rising  owing  to  a  long- 
continued  east  wind,  and  many  of  his  ships  were  already 
aground.  On  the  18th,  however,  the  wind  shifted  to 
the  northwest,  and  for  three  days  blew  a  gale.  The 
water  rose  rapidly,  and  at  the  end  of  the  second  day 
the  ships  were  all  afloat  again. 

Hearing  from  a  peasant  of  a  comparatively  low  dyke 
between  two  villages  Boisot  at  once  sailed  in  that  di- 
rection.   There  was  a  strong  Spanish  force  stationed 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  339 

here ;  but  these  were  seized  with  a  panic  and  fled,  their 
courage  unhinged  by  the  constantly  rising  waters,  the 
appearance  of  the  numerous  fleet,  and  their  knowledge 
of  the  reckless  daring  of  the  wild  sailors.  The  dyke 
was  cut,  the  two  villages  with  their  fortifications 
burned,  and  the  fleet  moved  on  to  North  Aa.  The  en- 
emy abandoned  this  position  also,  and  fled  to  Zoeter- 
meer,  a  strongly  fortified  village  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
from  the  city  walls.  Gradually  the  Spanish  army  had 
been  concentrated  round  the  city  as  the  water  drove 
them  back,  and  they  were  principally  stationed  at  this 
village  and  the  two  strong  forts  of  Lammen  and  Ley- 
derdorp,  each  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the  town. 

At  the  last-named  post  Valdez  had  his  headquarters, 
and  Colonel  Borgia  commanded  at  Lammen.  The  fleet 
was  delayed  at  North  Aa  by  another  dyke,  called  the 
Kirkway.  The  waters,  too,  spreading  again  over  a  wider 
space,  and  diminished  from  the  east  wind  again  set- 
ting in,  sank  rapidly,  and  very  soon  the  whole  fleet  was 
aground ;  for  there  were  but  nine  inches  of  water,  and 
they  required  twenty  to  float  them.  Day  after  day  they 
lay  motionless.  The  Prince  of  Orange,  who  had  again 
been  laid  up  with  the  fever,  rose  from  his  sick-bed  and 
visited  the  fleet.  He  encouraged  the  dispirited  sailors, 
rebuked  their  impatience,  and  after  reconnoitering  the 
ground  issued  orders  for  the  immediate  destruction  of 
the  Kirkway,  and  then  returned  to  Delft. 

All  this  time  Leyden  was  suffering  horribly.  The 
burghera  were  aware  that  the  fleet  had  set  forth  to  their 
relief,  but  they  knew  better  than  those  on  board  the  ob- 
stacles that  opposed  its  progress.  Tlie  flames  of  the 
burning  villages  and  the  sound  of  artillery  told  them  of 
its  progress  until  it  reached  North  Aa,  then  there  was 
a  long  silence,  and  hope  almost  deserted  them.    The^ 


340  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

knew  well  that  so  long  as  the  east  wind  continued  to 
blow  there  could  be  no  rise  in  the  level  of  the  water, 
and  anxiously  they  looked  from  the  walls  and  the  old 
tower  for  signs  of  a  change.  They  were  literally  starv- 
ing, and  their  misery  far  exceeded  even  that  of  the 
citizens  of  Haarlem, 

A  small  number  of  cows  only  remained,  and  of  these 
a  few  were  killed  every  day,  and  tiny  morsels  of  meat 
distributed,  the  hides  and  bones  being  chopped  up  and 
boiled.  The  green  leaves  were  stripped  from  the  trees, 
and  every  herb  gathered  and  eaten.  The  mortality  was 
frightful,  and  whole  families  died  together  in  their 
houses  from  famine  and  plague  ;  for  pestilence  had  now 
broken  out,  and  from  six  to  eight  thousand  people  died 
from  this  alone.  Leyden  abandoned  all  hope,  and  yet 
they  spurned  the  repeated  summonses  of  Valdez  to  sur- 
render. They  were  fully  resolved  to  die  rather  than 
to  yield  to  the  Spaniards.  From  time  to  time,  however, 
murmurs  arose  among  the  suffering  people,  and  the 
heroic  burgomaster,  Adrian  Van  der  Werf,  was  once 
surrounded  by  a  crowd  and  assailed  by  reproaches. 

He  took  off  his  hat  and  calmly  replied  to  them :  "  I 
tell  you  I  have  made  an  oath  to  hold  the  city,  and  may 
God  give  me  strength  to  keep  it.  I  can  die  but  once — 
either  by  your  hands,  the  enemy's,  or  by  the  hand  of 
God.  My  own  fate  is  indifferent  to  me ;  not  so  that  of 
the  city  intrusted  to  my  care.  I  know  that  we  shall  all 
starve  if  not  soon  relieved ;  but  starvation  is  preferable 
to  the  dishonored  death  which  is  the  only  alternative. 
Your  menaces  move  me  not.  My  life  is  at  your  dispo- 
sal. Here  is  my  sword ;  plunge  it  into  my  breast  and 
divide  my  flesh  among  you.  Take  my  body  to  appease 
your  hunger;  but  expect  no  surrender  so  long  as  I 
remain  alive." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE,  341 

Still  the  east  wind  continued,  until  stout  admiral  Boi- 
Bot  himself  almost  despaired.  But  on  the  night  of  the 
1st  of  October  a  violent  gale  burst  from  the  northwest. 
The  water  was  piled  up  high  upon  the  southern  coast  of 
Holland,  and  sweeping  furiously  inland  poured  through 
the  ruined  dykes,  and  in  twenty-four  hours  the  fleet  was 
afloat  again.  At  midnight  they  advanced  in  the  midst 
of  the  storm  and  darkness.  Some  Spanish  vessels  that 
had  been  brought  up  to  aid  the  defenders  were  swept 
aside  and  sunk. 

The  fleet,  sweeping  on  past  half-submerged  stacks  and 
farmhouses,  made  its  way  to  the  fresh  water  mere. 
Some  shallows  checked  it  for  a  time,  but  the  crews 
sprang  overboard  into  the  water,  and  by  main  strength 
hoisted  their  vessels  across  them.  Two  obstacles  alone 
stood  between  them  and  the  city — the  forts  of  Zoeter- 
woude  and  Lammen,  the  one  five  hundred,  and  the 
other  but  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  fiom  the  city. 
Both  were  strong  and  well  supplied  with  troops  and 
artillery,  but  the  panic  which  had  seized  the  Spaniards 
extended  to  Zoeterwoude.  Hardly  was  the  fleet  in 
sight  in  the  gray  light  of  the  morning  when  the  Span- 
iards poured  out  from  the  fortress,  and  spread  along  a 
road  on  the  dyke  leading  in  a  westei'ly  direction  toward 
The  Hague. 

The  waves,  driven  by  the  wind,  were  beating  on  the 
dyke,  and  it  was  crumbling  rapidly  away,  and  hundreds 
sank  beneath  the  flood.  The  Zeelandei*s  drove  their 
vessels  up  alongside,  and  pierced  them  with  their  har- 
poons, or,  plunging  into  the  waves,  attacked  them  with 
sword  and  dagger.  The  numbers  killed  amounted  to 
not  less  than  a  thousand  ;  the  rest  effected  their  escape 
to  The  Hague.  Zoeterwoude  was  captured  and  set  on 
fire,  but  Lammen  still  barred  their  path.  Bristling  with 


342  BT  PIKM  AND  BTKB. 

guns,  it  seemed  to  defy  them  either  to  capture  or  pass 
it  on  their  way  to  the  city. 

Leyderdorp,  where  Valdez  with  his  main  force  lay, 
was  a  mile  and  a  half  distant  on  the  right,  and  within  a 
mile  of  the  city,  and  the  guns  of  the  two  forts  seemed 
to  render  it  next  to  impossible  for  the  fleet  to  pass  on. 
Boisot,  after  reconnoitering  the  position,  wrote  despon- 
dently to  the  prince  that  he  intended  if  possible  on  the 
following  morning  to  carry  the  fort,  but  if  unable  to  do 
so,  he  said,  there  would  be  nothing  for  it  but  to  wait 
for  another  gale  of  wind  to  still  further  raise  the  water, 
and  enable  him  to  make  a  wide  circuit  and  enter  Ley- 
den  on  the  opposite  side.  A  pigeon  had  been  dispatched 
by  Boisot  in  the  morning  informing  the  citizens  of  his 
exact  position,  and  at  nightfall  the  burgomaster  and  a 
number  of  citizens  gathered  at  the  watchtower. 

"  Yonder,"  cried  the  magistrate,  pointing  to  Lammen, 
"  behind  that  fort,  are  bread  and  meat  and  brethren  i  n 
thousands.  Shall  all  this  be  destroyed  by  Spanish 
guns,  or  shall  we  rush  to  the  aid  of  our  friends  ?  " 

"  We  will  tear  the  fortress  first  to  fragments  with  our 
teeth  and  nails,"  was  the  reply ;  and  it  was  resolved  that 
a  sortie  should  be  made  against  Lammen  at  daybreak, 
when  Boisot  attacked  it  on  the  other  side.  A  pitch-dark 
night  set  in,  a  night  full  of  anxiety  to  the  Spaniards,  to 
the  fleet,  and  to  Leyden.  The  sentries  on  the  walls 
saw  lights  flitting  across  the  waters,  and  in  the  dead  of 
night  the  whole  of  the  city  wall  between  two  of  the 
gates  fell  with  a  loud  crash.  The  citizens  armed  them- 
selves and  rushed  to  the  breach,  believing  that  the 
Spaniards  were  on  them  at  last ;  but  no  foe  made  his 
appearance. 

In  the  morning  the  fleet  prepared  for  the  assault. 
All  was  still  and  quiet  in  the  fortress,  and  the  dreadful 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  34S 

suspicion  that  the  city  had  been  earned  at  night,  and 
that  all  their  labor  was  in  vain,  seized  those  on  board. 
Suddenly  a  man  was  seen  wading  out  from  the  fort, 
while  at  the  same  time  a  boy  waved  his  cap  wildly  from 
its  summit.  The  mystery  was  solved.  The  Spaniards 
had  fled  panic-stricken  in  the  darkness.  Had  they  re- 
mained they  could  have  frustrated  the  enterprise,  and 
Ley  den  must  have  fallen  ;  but  the  events  of  the  two 
preceding  days  had  shaken  their  courage.  Valdez 
retired  from  Leyderdorp  and  ordered  Colonel  Borgia 
to  evacuate  Lanimen. 

Thus  they  had  retreated  at  the  very  moment  that  the 
fall  of  the  walls  sapped  by  the  flood  laid  bare  a  whole 
side  of  the  city  for  their  entrance.  They  heard  the 
crash  in  the  darkness,  and  it  but  added  to  their  fears, 
for  they  thought  that  the  citizens  were  sallying  out  to 
take  some  measures  which  would  further  add  to  the 
height  of  the  flood.  Their  retreat  was  discovered  by 
the  boy,  who,  having  noticed  the  procession  of  lights  in 
the  darkness,  became  convinced  that  the  Spaniards  had 
retired,  and  persuaded  the  magistrates  to  allow  him  to 
make  his  way  out  to  the  fort  to  reconnoiter.  As  soon 
as  the  truth  was  known  the  fleet  advanced,  passed  the 
sort,  and  drew  up  alongside  the  quays. 

These  were  lined  by  the  famishing  people,  every  man, 
woman  and  child  having  strength  to  stand  having  come 
out  to  greet  their  deliverer.  Bread  was  thrown  from 
all  the  vessels  among  the  crowd  as  they  came  up,  and 
many  died  from  too  eagerly  devouring  the  food  after 
their  long  fast.  Then  the  admiral  stepped  ashore, 
followed  by  the  whole  of  those  on  board  the  ships. 
Magistrates  and  citizens,  sailors  and  soldiers,  women  and 
children,  all  repaired  to  the  great  church  and  returned 
thanks  to  God  for  the  deliverance  of  the  city.     The 


344  BT  PIKE  AND  DTKM. 

work  of  distributing  food  and  relieving  the  sick  was 
then  undertaken.  The  next  day  the  prince,  in  defiance 
of  the  urgent  entreaties  of  his  friends,  who  were  afraid 
of  the  effects  of  the  pestilential  air  of  the  city  upon  his 
constitution  enfeebled  by  sickness,  repaired  to  the  town. 

Shortly  afterward,  with  the  advice  of  the  States,  he 
granted  the  city  as  a  reward  for  its  suffering  a  ten  days' 
annual  fair,  without  tolls  or  taxes,  and  it  was  further 
resolved  that  a  university  should,  as  a  manifestation  of 
the  gratitude  of  the  people  of  Holland,  be  established 
within  its  walls.  The  fiction  of  the  authority  of  Philip 
was  still  maintained,  and  the  charter  granted  to  the 
university  was,  under  the  circumstances,  a  wonderful 
production.  It  was  drawn  up  in  the  name  of  the  king, 
and  he  was  gravely  made  to  establish  the  university  as 
a  reward  to  Leyden  for  rebellion  against  himself. 

"  Considering,"  it  said,  "  that  during  these  present 
wearisome  wars  within  our  provinces  of  Holland  and 
Zeeland,  all  good  instruction  of  youth  in  the  sciences 
and  literary  arts  is  likely  to  come  into  entire  oblivion  ; 
considering  the  difference  of  religion ;  considering  that 
we  are  inclined  to  gratify  our  city  of  Leyden,  with  its 
burghers,  on  account  of  the  heavy  burden  sustained  by 
them  during  this  war  with  such  faithfulness,  we  have 
resolved — after  ripely  deliberating  with  our  dear  cousin 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  stadtholder — to  erect  a  free 
public  school,  and  university,"  etc.  So  ran  the  docu- 
ment establishing  this  famous  university,  all  needful 
regulations  for  its  government  being  intrusted  by  Philip 
to  his  above-mentioned  dear  cousin  of  Orange. 

Ned  Martin  was  not  one  of  those  who  entered  Leyden 
with  Boisot's  relieving  fleet.  His  long  watching  and 
anxiety  by  the  bedside  of  the  prince  had  hold  upon  him, 
and  he  felt  stmngely  unlike  himself  when  he  started 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  845 

with  the  fleet.  So  long  as  it  was  fighting  its  way  for- 
ward the  excitement  kept  him  up ;  but  the  long  delay- 
near  the  village  of  Aa,  and  the  deep  despondency  caused 
by  the  probable  failure  of  their  hopes  of  rescuing  the 
starving  city,  again  brought  on  an  attack  of  the  fever 
that  had  already  seized  him  before  starting,  a  d  when 
the  Prince  of  Orange  paid  his  visit  to  the  fleet  Boisot 
told  him  the  young  officer  he  had  recommended  to  him 
was  down  with  a  fever,  which  was,  he  believed,  similar 
to  that  from  which  the  prince  himself  was  but  just  recov- 
ering. 

The  prince  at  once  ordered  him  to  be  carried  on  board 
his  own  galley,  and  took  him  with  him  back  to  Delft. 
Here  he  lay  for  a  month  completely  prostrated.  The 
prince  seveml  times  visited  him  personally,  and,  as  soon 
as  he  became  in  some  degree  convalescent,  said  to  him : 

"  I  think  we  have  taxed  you  too  severely,  and  have 
worked  you  in  proportion  to  your  zeal  rather  than  to 
your  strength.  The  surgeon  says  that  you  must  have 
rest  for  awhile,  and  that  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  get 
away  from  our  marshes  for  a  time.  For  two  years  you 
have  done  good  and  faithful  service,  and  even  had  it 
not  been  for  this  fever  you  would  have  a  right  to  rest, 
and  I  think  that  your  native  air  is  the  best  for  you  at 
present.  With  the  letters  that  came  to  me  from  Flush- 
ing this  morning  is  one  from  your  good  father,  asking 
for  news  of  you.  His  ship  arrived  there  yesterday,  and 
he  has  heard  from  one  of  those  who  were  with  Boisot 
that  you  have  fallen  ill ;  therefore,  if  it  be  to  your  liking, 
I  will  send  you  in  one  of  my  galleys  to  Flushing." 

"  I  thank  your  excellency  much,"  Ned  said.  "  Indeed 
for  the  last  few  days  I  have  been  thinking  much  of  home 
and  longing  to  be  back.  I  fear  that  I  shall  be  a  long 
time  before  I  shall  be  fit  for  hard  work  again  here." 


346  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  , 

"  You  will  feel  a  different  man  when  you  have  been 
a  few  hours  at  sea,"  the  prince  said  kindly.  "  I  hope 
to  see  you  with  me  again  some  day.  There  are  many 
of  your  countrymen,  who,  like  yourself,  have  volunteered 
in  our  ranks  and  served  us  well  without  pay  or  reward, 
but  none  of  them  have  rendered  better  service  than  you 
have  done.  And  now,  farewell.  I  will  order  a  galley 
to  be  got  in  readiness  at  once.  I  leave  myself  for  Ley- 
den  in  half  an  hour.  Take  this,  my  young  friend,  in 
remembrance  of  the  Prince  of  Orange  ;  and  I  trust  that 
you  may  live  to  hand  it  down  to  your  descendants  as  a 
proof  that  I  appreciated  your  good  services  on  behalf  £>f 
a  people  struggling  to  be  free." 

So  saying  he  took  off  his  watch  and  laid  it  on  the 
table  by  Ned's  bedside,  pressed  the  lad's  hand,  and  re- 
tired. He  felt  it  really  a  sacrifice  to  allow  this  young 
Englishman  to  depart.  He  had  for  years  been  a  lonely 
man,  with  few  confidants  and  no  domestic  pleasures. 
He  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  trouble,  doubt  and  suspi- 
cion. He  had  struggled  alone  against  the  might  of 
Philip,  the  apathy  of  the  western  provinces,  the  coldness 
and  often  the  treachery  of  the  nobles,  the  jealousies  and 
niggardliness  of  the  Estates,  representing  cities  each  of 
which  thought  rather  of  itself  and  its  privileges  than  of 
the  general  good;  and  the  company  of  this  young 
Englishman,  with  his  frank  utterances,  his  readiness  to 
work  at  all  times,  and  his  freedom  from  all  ambitions  or 
self-interested  designs,  had  been  a  pleasure  and  relief 
to  him,  and  he  frequently  talked  to  him  far  more  freely 
than  even  to  his  most  trusted  counselors. 

Ever  since  the  relief  of  Alkmaar  Ned  had  been  con- 
stantly with  him,  save  when  despatched  on  missions  to 
the  various  towns,  or  to  see  that  the  naval  preparations 
were  being  pushed  on  with  all  speed ;  and  his  illness 


JSr  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  ^H 

had  made  a  real  blank  in  his  little  circle.  However, 
the  doctors  had  spoken  strongly  as  to  the  necessity  for 
Ned's  getting  away  from  the  damp  atmosphere  of  the 
half-submerged  land,  and  he  at  once  decided  to  send 
him  back  to  England,  and  seized  the  opportunity  directly 
the  receipt  of  Captain  Martin's  letter  informed  him  that 
that  the  ship  was  at  Flushing. 

An  hour  later  four  men  entered  with  a  litter ;  the 
servants  had  already  packed  Ned's  mails,  and  he  was 
carried  down  and  placed  on  board  one  of  the  prince's 
vessels.  They  rowed  down  into  the  Maas,  and  then 
hoisting  sail  proceeded  down  the  river,  kept  outside  the 
island  to  Walcheren,  and  then  up  the  estuary  of  the 
Scheldt  to  Flushing.  It  was  early  morning  when  they 
arrived  in  port.  Ned  was  carried  upon  deck,  and  soon 
made  out  the  Good  Venture  lying  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away.  He  was  at  once  placed  in  the  boat  and  rowed 
alongside.  An  exclamation  from  Peters,  as  he  looked 
over  the  side  and  saw  Ned  lying  in  the  stem  of  the  boat, 
called  Captain  Martin  out  from  his  cabin. 

"  Why,  Ned,  my  dear  boy  I "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  looked 
over  the  side ;  "  you  seem  in  grievous  state  indeed." 

"  There  is  not  much  the  matter  with  me,  father.  I 
have  had  fever,  but  am  getting  over  it,  and  it  will  need 
but  a  day  or  two  at  sea  to  put  me  on  my  feet  again.  I 
have  done  with  the  war  at  present,  and  the  prince  has 
been  good  enough  to  send  me  in  one  of  his  own  galleys 
to  you." 

"  We  will  soon  get  you  round  again,  never  fear, 
Master  Ned,"  Peters  said  as  he  jumped  down  into  the 
boat  to  aid  in  hoisting  him  on  board.  "  No  wonder  the 
damp  airs  of  this  country  have  got  into  your  bones 
at  last.  I  never  can  keep  myself  warm  when  we  are 
once  in  these  canals.     If  it  wasn't  for  their  schiedam 


848  BY  PIKE  AND  DYK^. 

I  don't  believe  the  Dutchmen  could  stand  it  them 
selves." 

Ned  was  soon  lifted  on  board,  and  carried  into  the 
cabin  aft.  The  Good  Venture  had  already  discharged 
her  cargo,  and,  as  there  was  no  chance  of  filling  up  again 
at  Flushing,  sail  was  made  an  hour  after  he  was  on 
board,  and  the  vessel  put  out  to  sea.  It  was  now  early 
in  November,  but  although  the  air  was  cold  the  day  was 
fine  and  bright,  and  as  soon  as  the  vessel  was  under 
weigh  Ned  was  wrapped  up  in  cloaks  and  laid  on  a  mat- 
tress on  deck,  with  his  head  well  propped  up  with 
pillows. 

"  One  seems  to  breathe  in  fresh  life  here,  father,"  he 
said.  "  It  is  pleasant  to  feel  the  motion  and  the  shock 
of  the  waves  after  being  so  long  on  land.  I  feel  strong 
er  already,  while  so  long  as  I  was  at  Delft  1  did  not 
seem  to  gain  from  one  day  to  the  other.  I  hope  we 
shan't  make  too  rapid  a  voyage ;  I  don't  want  to  come 
home  as  an  invalid. 

"  We  shall  not  make  a  fast  run  of  it  unless  the  wind 
changes,  Ned.  It  blows  steadily  from  the  west  at  pres- 
ent, and  we  shall  be  lucky  if  we  cast  anchor  under  a 
week  in  the  Pool." 

"  All  the  better,  father.  In  a  week  I  shall  be  on  my 
legs  again  unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken." 

j^ed's  convalescence  was  indeed  rapid,  and  by  the 
time  they  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Thames  he  was  able 
to  walk  from  side  to  side  of  the  vessel,  and  as  the  wind 
still  held  from  the  west  it  was  another  four  days 
before  they  dropped  anchor  near  London  Bridge.  Ned 
would  have  gone  ashore  in  his  old  attire ;  but  upon  put- 
ting it  on  the  first  day  he  was  able  to  get  about,  he  found 
he  had  so  completely  outgrown  it  that  he  was  obliged 
to  return  to  the  garments  he  had  worn  in  Holland. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  349 

He  was  now  more  than  eighteen  years  of  age  and 
nearly  six  feet  in  heght.  He  had  broadened  out  greatly, 
and  the  position  he  had  for  the  last  year  held  as  an 
officer  charged  with  authority  by  the  prince  had  given 
him  a  manner  of  decision  and  authority  altogether  be- 
yond his  years.  As  he  could  not  wear  his  sailor  dress  he 
chose  one  of  the  handsomest  of  those  he  possessed  It 
consisted  of  maroon  doublet  and  trunks  stashed  with 
white  with  a  short  mantle  of  dark  green,  and  hose  of  the 
same  color ;  his  cap  was  maroon  in  color,  with  small 
white  and  orange  plumes,  and  he  wore  a  ruff  round  his 
neck.  Captain  Martin  saluted  him  with  a  bow  of  rever- 
ence as  he  came  on  deck. 

"  Why,  Ned,  they  will  think  that  I  am  bringing  a 
court  gallant  with  me.  Your  mother  and  the  girls  will 
be  quite  abashed  at  all  this  finery." 

"  I  felt  strange  in  it  myself  at  first,"  Ned  laughed  ; 
"  but  of  course  I  am  accustomed  to  it  now.  The  prince 
is  not  one  who  cares  for  state  himself,  but  as  one  of  his 
officers  I  was  obliged  to  be  well  dressed ;  and,  indeed, 
this  dress  and  the  others  I  wear  were  made  by  his  orders 
and  presented  to  me.  Indeed  I  think  I  am  very  mod- 
erate in  not  decking  myself  out  with  the  two  gold  chains 
I  have — the  one  a  present  from  his  highness,  the  other 
from  the  city  of  Alkmaar — to  say  nothing  of  the  watch 
set  with  jewels  that  the  prince  gave  me  on  leaving." 

Ned's  mother  and  the  girls  were  on  the  lookout,  for 
the  Good  Venture  had  been  noticed  as  she  passed. 
Ned  had  at  his  father's  suggestion  kept  below  in  order 
that  he  might  give  them  a  surprise  on  his  arrival. 

"  I  verily  believe  they  won't  know  you,"  he  said  as  they 
approached  the  gate.  "You  have  grown  four  inches 
since  they  saw  you  last,  and  your  cheeks  are  thin  and 
pale  instead  of  being  round  and  sunburnt.     This,  with 


350  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKA 

your  attire,  has  made  such  a  difference  that  I  am  sure 
any  one  would  pass  you  in  the  street  without  knowing 
you." 

Ned  hung  a  little  behind  while  his  mother  and  the 
girls  met  his  father  at  the  gate.  As  soon  as  the  em- 
braces were  over  Captain  Martin  turned  to  Ned  and  said 
to  his  wife : 

"  My  dear,  I  have  to  introduce  an  officer  of  the  prince 
who  has  come  over  for  his  health  to  stay  awhile  with 
us.     This  is  Captain  Martin." 

Dame  Martin  gave  a  start  of  astonishment,  looked 
incredulously  for  a  moment  at  Ned,  and  then  with  a 
cry  of  delight  threw  herself  into  his  arms. 

"  It  really  seems  impossible  that  this  can  be  Ned," 
she  said,  as,  after  kissing  his  sisters,  he  turned  to  her. 
"  Why,  husband,  it  is  a  man  !  " 

"  And  a  very  fine  one,  too,  wife.  He  tops  me  by  two 
inches ;  and  as  to  his  attire,  I  feel  that  we  must  all 
smarten  up  to  be  fit  companions  to  such  a  splendid  bird. 
Why,  the  girls  look  quite  awed  at  him !  " 

But  you  look  terribly  pale,  Ned,  and  thin,"  his 
mother  said ;  "  and  you  were  so  healthy  and  strong." 

"I  shall  soon  be  healthy  and  strong  again,  mother- 
When  I  have  got  out  of  these  fine  clothes,  which  I  only 
put  on  because  I  could  not  get  into  my  old  ones,  and 
you  have  fed  me  up  for  a  week  on  good  English  beef, 
you  will  see  that  there  is  no  such  great  change  in  me 
after  all." 

"  And  now  let  us  go  inside,"  Captain  Martin  said ; 
"  there  is  a  surprise  for  you  there."  Ned  entered,  and 
was  indeed  surprised  at  seeing  his  Aunt  Elizabeth  sit- 
ting by  the  fire,  while  his  cousins  were  engaged  upon 
their  needlework  at  the  window.  They,  too,  looked 
for  a  moment  doubtful  as  he  entered ;  for  the  fifteen 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  351 

months  since  they  had  last  seen  him,  when  he  left  them 
at  the  surrender  of  Haarlem,  had  changed  him  much, 
and  his  dress  at  that  time  had  been  very  different  to 
that  he  now  wore.  It  was  not  until  he  exclaimed  : 
"  Well,  aunt,  this  is  indeed  a  surprise !  ''  that  they 
were  sure  of  his  identity,  and  they  welcomed  him  with 
a  warmth  scarcely  less  than  his  mother  and  sisters  had 
shown. 

Elizabeth  Plomaert  was  not  of  a  demonstrative  nature ; 
but  although  she  had  said  little  at  the  time,  she  had  felt 
deeply  the  care  and  devotion  which  Ned  had  exhibited 
to  her  and  her  daughters  during  the  siege,  and  knew 
that  had  it  not  been  for  the  supplies  of  food,  scanty  as 
they  were,  that  he  nightly  brought  in,  she  herself,  and 
probably  the  girls,  would  have  succumbed  to  hunger. 

"  When  did  you  arrive,  aunt  ?  "  Ned  asked,  when  the 
greetings  were  over. 

"  Four  months  ago,  Ned.  Life  was  intolerable  in 
Haarlem  owing  to  the  brutal  conduct  of  the  Spanish 
soldiers.  I  was  a  long  time  bringing  myself  to  move. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  girls  I  should  never  have  done 
so.  But  things  became  intolerable  ;  and  when  most  of 
the  troops  were  removed  at  the  time  Count  Louis  ad- 
vanced, we  managed  to  leave  the  town  and  make  our 
way  north.  It  was  a  terrible  journey  to  Enkhuizen  ;  but 
we  accomplished  it,  and  after  being  there  a  fortnight 
took  passage  in  a  ship  for  England,  and,  as  you  see,  here 
we  are." 


BY  PIKE  AJSJj  DYKE, 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IN  THE  queen's  SERVIOB. 

A  FEW  days  after  Ned's  return  home  his  aunt  and 
cousins  moved  into  a  house  close  by,  which  they  had 
taken  a  short  time  before  ;  Dame  Plomaert's  half  of  the 
property,  purchased  with  the  money  that  had  been  trans- 
mitted by  her  father-in-law  and  his  sons  to  England,  be- 
ing ample  to  keep  them  in  considerable  comfort.  Just 
as  Ned  was  leaving  Delft  some  despatches  had  been  placed 
in  his  hands  for  delivery  upon  his  arrival  in  London  to 
Lord  Walsingham.  The  great  minister  was  in  attend- 
ance upon  the  queen  at  Greenwich,  and  thither  Ned  pro- 
ceeded by  boat  on  the  morning  after  his  arrival.  On 
stating  that  he  was  the  bearer  of  despatches  from  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  Ned  at  once  obtained  an  audience, 
and  bowing  deeply  presented  his  letters  to  the  queen's 
counselor.  The  latter  opened  the  letter  addressed  to 
himself,  and  after  reading  a  few  words  said : 

*'  Be  seated,  Captain  Martin.  The  prince  tells  me  that 
he  sends  it  by  your  hand,  but  that  as  you  are  prostrate 
by  fever  you  will  be  unable  to  deliver  it  personally.  I 
am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  so  far  recovered." 

Ned  seated  himself,  while  Lord  Walsingham  con- 
tinued the  perusal  of  his  despatches. 

"  The  prince  is  pleased  to  speak  in  very  high  terms 
of  you.  Captain  Martin,"  he  said,  "  and  tells  me  that  as 
you  are  entirely  in  his  confidence  you  will  be  able  to 


hr  PIKE  ANt)  DYKE.  353 

give  me  much  informatiou  besides  that  which  he  is  able 
to  write." 

He  then  proceeded  to  question  Ned  at  length  as  to  the 
state  of  feeling  in  Holland,  its  resources  and  means  of 
resistance,  upon  all  of  which  points  Ned  replied  fully. 
The  interview  lasted  nearly  two  hours,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  Lord  Walsingham  said : 

"  When  I  hand  the  letter  inclosed  v/ith  my  own  to  the 
queen  I  shall  report  to  her  majesty  very  favorably  as  to 
your  intelligence,  and  it  may  possibly  be  that  she  may 
desire  to  speak  to  you  herself,  for  she  is  deeply  interested 
in  this  matter;  and  although  circumstances  have  pre- 
vented her  showing  that  warmth  for  the  welfare  of  Hol- 
land that  she  feels,  she  has  no  less  the  interest  of  that 
country  at  heart,  and  will  be  well  pleased  to  find  that 
one  of  her  subjects  has  been  rendering  such  assistance 
as  the  prince  is  pleased  to  acknowledge  in  his  letter  to 
me.  Please,  therefore,  to  leave  your  address  with  my 
secretary  in  the  next  room  in  order  that  I  may  com- 
municate with  you  if  necessary." 

Two  days  later  one  of  the  royal  servants  brought  a 
message  that  Captain  Martin  was  to  present  liimself  on 
the  following  day  at  Greenwich,  as  her  majesty  would 
be  pleased  to  grant  him  an  audience.  Knowing  that"  the 
queen  loved  that  those  around  her  should  be  bravely  at- 
tired, Ned  dressed  himself  in  the  suit  that  he  had  only 
worn  once  or  twice  when  he  had  attended  the  prince  to 
meetings  of  the  Estates. 

It  was  of  a  puce-colored  satin,  slashed  with  green, 

with  a  short  mantle  of  the  same  material,  with  the  cape 

embroidered  in  silver.     The  bonnet  was  to  match,  with 

a  small  white  feather.     He  placed  the  chain  the  prince 

had  given  him  round  his  neck,  and  with  an  ample  ruff 

and  manchets  of  French  lace,  and  his  rapier  by  his  side, 
23 


S64  BY  PIKE  AND  DTK6. 

he  took  his  place  in  the  boat,  and  was  rowed  to  Green- 
wich. He  felt  some  trepidation  as  he  was  ushered  in. 
A  page  conducted  him  to  the  end  of  tlie  chamber,  where 
the  queen  was  standing  with  Lord  Walsingham  at  her 
side.  Ned  bowed  profoundly,  the  queen  held  out  her 
hand,  and  bending  on  one  knee  Ned  reverently  placed 
it  to  his  lips. 

"  I  am  gratified,  Captain  Martin,"  she  said,  "  at  the 
manner  in  whicli  my  good  cousin,  the  prince  of  Orange, 
has  been  pleased  to  speak  of  your  services  to  him.  You 
are  young  indeed,  sir,  to  have  passed  through  such 
perilous  adventures ;  and  I  would  fain  hear  from  your 
lips  the  account  of  the  deliverance  of  Leyden,  and  of 
such  other  matters  as  you  have  taken  part  in." 

The  queen  then  seated  herself,  and  Ned  related  mod- 
estly the  events  at  Leyden,  Haarlem,  Alkmaar  and  the 
two  sea-fights  in  which  he  had  taken  part.  The  queen 
several  times  questioned  him  closely  as  to  the  various 
details. 

"  We  are  much  interested,"  she  said,  "  in  these  fights, 
in  which  the  burghers  of  Holland  have  supported  them- 
selves against  the  soldiers  of  Spain,  seeing  that  we  may 
ourselves  some  day  have  to  maintain  ourselves  against 
that  power.  How  comes  it,  young  sir,  that  you  came  to 
mix  yourself  up  in  these  matters  ?  We  know  that  many 
of  our  subjects  have  crossed  the  water  to  fight  against 
the  Spaniards ;  but  these  are  for  the  most  part  restless 
spirits,  who  are  attracted  as  much,  perhaps,  by  a  love  of 
adventure  as  by  their  sympathy  with  the  people  of  the 
Netherlands." 

Ned  then  related  the  massacre  of  his  Dutch  relations 
by  the  Spaniards,  and  how  his  father  had  lost  a  leg  while 
sailing  out  of  Antwerp. 

"  I  remember  me  now,"  the  queen  said.     "  The  matter 


Bt  PIKE  ANi)  DYKE.  355 

was  laid  before  our  council,  and  we  remonstrated  with 
the  Spanish  ambassador,  and  he  in  turn  accused  our 
seamen  of  having  first  sunk  a  Spanish  galley  without 
cause  or  reason.  And  when  not  employed  in  these  dan- 
gerous enterprises  of  which  you  have  been  speaking,  do 
you  say  that  you  have  been  in  attendance  upon  the  prince 
himself  ?  He  speaks  in  his  letter  to  my  Lord  Walsing- 
ham  of  his  great  confidence  in  you.  How  came  you  first, 
a  stranger  and  a  foreigner,  to  gain  the  confidence  of  so 
wise  and  prudent  a  prince  ?  " 

"  He  intrusted  a  mission  to  me  of  some  slight  peril, 
your  majesty,  and  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  carry  it 
out  to  his  satisfaction." 

"  Tell  me  more  of  it,"  the  queen  said.  "  It  may  be 
that  we  ourselves  shall  find  some  employment  for  you, 
and  I  wish  to  know  upon  what  grounds  we  should  place 
confidence  in  you.  Tell  me  fully  the  affair.  I  am  not 
pressed  for  time,  and  love  to  listen  to  tales  of  adventure." 

Ned  thus  commanded  related  in  full  the  story  of  his 
mission  to  Brussels. 

"  Truly  the  prince's  confidence  was  well  reposed  in 
you,"  she  said,  when  Ned  had  finished.  "  You  shall  hear 
from  us  anon.  Captain  Martin.  Since  you  know  Hol- 
land so  well,  and  are  high  in  the  confidence  of  the  prince, 
we  shall  doubtless  be  able  to  find  means  of  utilizing  your 
services  for  the  benefit  of  the  realm." 

So  saying  she  again  extended  her  hand  to  Ned,  who, 
after  kissing  it,  retired  from  the  audience-chamber  de- 
lighted with  the  kindness  and  condescension  of  Eliza- 
beth. When  he  had  left,  the  queen  said  to  Lord  Wal- 
singhara. 

"  A  very  proper  young  officer,  Lord  Walsingham ;  and 
one  of  parts  and  intelligence  as  well  as  of  bravery.  Me- 
thinks  we  may  find  him  useful  in  our  communications 


356  S Y  PIKE  AND  D YKK 

with  the  Prince  of  Orange  ;  and  from  his  knowledge  of 
the  people  we  may  get  surer  intelligence  from  him  of 
the  state  of  feeling  there  with  regard  to  the  alliance 
they  are  proposing  with  us,  and  to  their  offers  to  come 
under  our  protection,  than  we  can  from  our  own  envoy. 
It  is  advisable,  too,  at  times  to  have  two  mouthpieces : 
the  one  to  speak  in  the  public  ear,  the  other  to  deliver 
our  private  sentiments  and  plans." 

"  He  is  young  for  so  great  a  responsibility,"  Lord 
Walsingham  said  hesitatingly. 

"  If  the  Prince  of  Orange  did  not  find  him  too  young 
to  act  in  matters  in  which  the  slightest  indiscretion 
might  bring  a  score  of  heads  to  the  block,  I  think  that 
we  can  trust  him,  my  lord.  In  some  respects  his  youth 
will  be  a  distinct  advantage.  Did  we  send  a  personage 
of  age  and  rank  to  Holland  it  might  be  suspected  that 
he  had  a  special  mission  from  us,  and  our  envoy  might 
complain  that  we  were  treating  behind  his  back  ;  but  a 
young  officer  like  this  could  come  and  go  without  attract- 
ing observation,  and  without  even  Philip's  spies  sus- 
pecting that  he  was  dabbling  in  affairs  of  state." 

At  this  time,  indeed,  the  queen  was,  as  she  had  long 
been,  play4ng  a  double  game  with  the  Netherlands.  Hol- 
land and  Zeeland  were  begging  the  prince  to  assume  ab- 
solute power.  The  Prince  of  Orange,  who  had  no  ambi- 
tion whatever  for  himself,  was  endeavoring  to  negotiate 
with  either  England  or  France  to  take  the  Estates  under 
their  protection.  Elizabeth,  while  jealous  of  France, 
was  unwilling  to  incur  the  expenditure  in  men  and  still 
more  in  money  that  would  be  necessary  were  slie  to  as- 
sume protection  of  Holland  as  its  sovereign  under  the 
title  offered  to  her  of  Countess  of  Holland ;  and  yet, 
though  unwilling  to  do  this  herself,  she  was  still  more 
unwilling  to  see  France  step  in  and  occupy  the  position 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  367 

offered  to  her,  while,  above  all,  she  shrank  from  engaging 
at  present  in  a  life-and-death  struggle  with  Spain. 

Thus,  while  ever  assuring  the  Prince  of  Orange  of 
her  good-will,  she  abstained  from  rendering  any  absolute 
assistance,  although  continuing  to  hold  out  hopes  that 
she  would  later  on  accept  the  sovereignty  offered. 

For  the  next  three  weeks  Ned  remained  quietly  at 
home.  The  gatherings  in  the  summer-house  were  more 
largely  attended  than  ever,  and  the  old  sailors  were 
never  tired  of  hearing  from  Ned  stories  of  the  sieges  in 
Holland. 

It  was  a  continual  source  of  wonder  to  them  how  Will 
Martin's  son,  who  had  seemed  to  them  a  boy  like  other 
boys,  should  have  gone  thi-ough  such  perilous  adventures 
should  have  had  the  honor  of  being  in  the  Prince  of 
Orange's  confidence,  and  the  still  greater  honor  of  being 
received  by  the  queen  and  allowed  to  kiss  her  hand.  It 
was  little  more  than  two  years  back  that  Ned  had  been  a 
boy  among  them,  never  venturing  to  give  his  opinion 
unless  first  addressed,  and  now  he  was  a  young  man,  with 
a  quiet  and  assured  manner,  and  bearing  liimself  rather 
as  a  young  noble  of  the  court  than  the  son  of  a  sea-cap- 
tain like  themselves. 

It  was  all  very  wonderful,  and  scarce  seemed  to  them 
natural,  especially  as  Ned  was  as  quiet  and  unaffected  as 
he  had  been  as  a  boy,  and  gave  himself  no  airs  whatever 
on  the  strength  of  the  good  fortune  that  had  befallen 
him.  Much  of  his  time  was  spent  in  assisting  his  aunt 
to  get  her  new  house  in  order,  and  in  aiding  her  to  move 
into  it.  This  had  just  been  accomplished  when  he  re- 
ceived an  order  to  go  down  to  Greenwich  and  call  upon 
Lord  Walsingham.  He  received  from  him  despatches  to 
be  delivered  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  together  with  many 
verbal  directions  for  the  prince's  private  ear.     He  was 


358  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

charged  to  ascertain  as  far  as  possible  the  prince's  inclin- 
ations toward  a  French  alliance,  and  what  ground  he  had 
for  encouragement  from  the  French  king. 

"  Upon  your  return,  Captain  Martin,  you  will  render 
me  an  account  of  all  expenses  you  have  borne,  and  they 
will,  of  course,  be  defrayed." 

"  My  expenses  will  be  but  small,  my  lord,"  Ned  replied ; 
"  for  it  chances  that  my  father's  ship  sails  to-morrow  for 
Rotterdam,  and  I  shall  take  passage  in  lier.  While  there 
I  am  sure  that  the  prince,  whose  hospitality  is  boundless, 
will  insist  upon  my  staying  with  him,  as  his  guest;  and 
indeed,  it  seems  to  me  that  this  would  be  best  so,  for 
having  so  long  been  a  member  of  his  household  it  will 
seem  to  all  that  I  have  but  returned  to  resume  my  for- 
mer position." 

The  public  service  in  the  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth  was 
not  sought  for  by  men  for  the  sake  of  gain.  It  was  con- 
sidered the  highest  honor  to  serve  the  queen  ;  and  those 
emplo3'^ed  on  embassies,  missions,  and  even  in  military 
commands  spent  large  sums,  and  sometimes  almost  beg- 
gared themselves  in  order  to  keep  up  a  dignity  worthy 
of  their  position,  considering  themselves  amply  repaid 
for  any  sacrifices  by  receiving  an  expression  of  the  roj^al 
approval.  Ned  Martin  therefore  returned  home  greatly 
elated  at  the  honorable  mission  that  had  been  intrusted 
to  him.  His  father,  however,  although  also  gratified  at 
Ned's  reception  at  court  and  employment  in  the  queen's 
service  looked  at  it  from  the  matter-of-fact  point  of  view. 

"  It  is  all  very  well,  Ned,"  he  said,  as  they  were  talk- 
ing the  matter  over  in  family  conclave  in  the  evening  { 
"  and  I  do  not  deny  that  I  share  in  the  satisfaction  that 
all  these  women  are  expressing.  It  is  a  high  honor  that 
you  should  be  employed  on  a  mission  for  her  majesty, 
and  there  are  scores  of  young  nobles  who  would  be  de- 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  359 

lighted  to  be  employed  in  such  services;  but  you  see, 
Ned,  you  are  not  a  young  noble,  and  although  honor  is 
a  fine  thing,  it  will  buy  neither  bread  nor  cheese.  If  you 
were  the  heir  to  great  estates  you  would  naturally  re- 
joice in  rendering  services  which  might  bring  you  into 
favor  at  court,  and  win  for  you  honor  and  public  stand- 
ing ;  but  you  see  you  are  the  son  of  a  master-mariner, 
happily  the  owner  of  his  own  ship  and  of  other  properties 
which  are  sufficient  to  keep  him  in  comfort,  but  which 
will  naturally  at  the  death  of  your  mother  and  myself  go 
to  the  girls,  while  you  will  have  the  Good  Venture  and 
my  shares  in  other  vessels.  But  these  are  businesses  that 
want  looking  after,  and  the  income  would  go  but  a  little 
way  to  support  you  in  a  position  at  court.  You  have 
now  been  two  years  away  from  the  sea.  That  matters 
little  ;  but  if  you  were  to  continue  in  the  royal  service 
for  a  time  you  would  surely  become  unfitted  to  return 
to  the  rough  life  of  a  master-mariner.  Fair  words  butter 
no  parsnips,  Ned.  Honor  and  royal  service  empty  the 
purse  instead  of  filling  it.  It  behooves  you  to  think 
these  matters  over." 

"  I  am  surprised  at  you.  Will,"  Dame  Martin  said. 
"  I  should  have  thought  that  you  would  have  been  proud 
of  the  credit  and  honor  that  Ned  is  winning.  Why,  all 
our  neighbors  are  talking  of  nothing  else  ! " 

"  All  our  neighbors  will  not  be  called  upon,  wife,  to 
pay  for  Master  Ned's  support ;  to  provide  him  with 
courtly  garments,  and  enable  him  to  maintain  a  position 
which  will  do  credit  to  his  royal  mistress.  I  am  proud 
of  Ned,  as  proud  as  any  one  can  be,  but  that  is  no  reason 
why  I  should  be  willing  to  see  him  spend  his  life  as  a 
needy  hanger-on  of  the  court  rather  than  as  a  British 
sailor,  bearing  a  good  name  in  the  city,  and  earning  a 
fair  living  by  honest  trade.    Ned  knows  that  I  am  speak- 


360  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ing  only  for  his  own  good.  Court  favor  is  but  an  empty- 
thing,  and  our  good  queen  is  fickle  in  her  likings,  and 
has  never  any  hesitation  in  disavowing  the  proceedings 
of  her  envoys.  When  a  man  has  broad  lands  to  fall  back 
upon  he  can  risk  the  cost  of  court  favor,  and  can  go  into 
retirement  assured  that  sooner  or  later  he  will  again  have 
his  turn.  But  such  is  not  Ned's  position.  I  say  not  that 
I  wish  him  at  once  to  draw  back  from  this  course  ;  but 
I  would  have  him  soberly  think  it  over  and  judge  whether 
it  is  one  that  in  the  long  run  is  likely  to  prove  success- 
ful." 

Mrs.  Martin,  her  sister-in-law,  and  the  four  girls 
looked  anxiously  at  Ned.  They  had  all,  since  the  day 
that  he  was  first  sent  for  to  Greenwich,  been  in  a  high 
state  of  delight  at  the  honor  that  had  befallen  him,  and 
his  father's  words  had  fallen  like  a  douche  of  cold  water 
upon  their  aspirations. 

"  I  fully  recognize  the  truth  of  what  you  say,  father,'* 
he  said,  after  a  pause,  "  and  will  think  it  deeply  over, 
which  I  shall  have  time  to  do  before  my  return  from 
Holland.  Assuredly  it  is  not  a  matter  to  be  lightly 
decided.  It  may  mean  that  this  royal  service  may  lead 
to  some  position  of  profit  as  well  as  honor ;  although 
now,  as  you  have  put  it  to  me,  I  own  that  the  prospect 
seems  to  me  to  be  a  slight  one,  and  that  where  so  many 
are  ready  to  serve  for  honor  alone,  the  chance  of  employ- 
ment for  one  requiring  money  as  well  as  honor  is  but 
small.  However,  there  can  be  no  need  for  instant  de- 
cision. I  am  so  fond  of  the  sea  that  I  am  sure  that,  even 
if  away  from  it  for  two  or  three  years,  I  should  be  ready 
and  willing  to  return  to  it.  I  am  as  yet  but  little  over 
eighteen,  and  even  if  I  remained  in  the  royal  service 
until  twenty-one  I  should  still  have  lost  but  little  of  my 
life,  and  should  not  be  too  old  to  take  to  the  sea  again. 


^Y  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  361 

"  In  time  I  shall  see  more  plainly  what  the  views  of 
Lord  Walsiugham  are  concerning  me,  and  whether  there 
is  a  prospect  of  advancement  in  the  service.  He  will 
know  that  I  cannot  afford  to  give  my  life  to  the  queen's 
service  without  pay,  not  being,  as  you  say,  a  noble  or  a 
great  landowner." 

"That  is  very  well  spoken,  Ned,"  his  father  said. 
"  There  is  no  need  in  any  way  for  you  to  come  to  any 
resolution  on  the  subject  at  present;  I  shall  be  well 
content  to  wait  until  you  come  of  age.  As  you  say,  by 
that  time  you  will  see  whether  this  is  but  a  brief  wind 
of  royal  favor,  or  whether  my  Lord  Walsingham  designs 
to  continue  you  in  the  royal  service  and  to  advance 
your  fortunes.  I  find  that  I  am  able  to  get  on  on  board 
a  ship  better  than  I  had  expected,  and  have  no  wish  to 
retire  from  the  sea  at  present ;  therefore  there  will  be 
plenty  of  time  for  you  to  decide  when  you  get  to  the 
age  of  one-and-twenty.  Nevertheless  this  talk  will  not 
have  been  without  advantage,  for  it  will  be  far  better 
for  you  not  to  have  set  your  mind  altogether  upon  court 
service ;  and  you  will  then,  if  you  finally  decide  to  re- 
turn to  sea,  not  have  to  suffer  such  disappointment  as 
you  would  do  had  you  regarded  it  as  a  fixed  thing  that 
some  great  fortune  was  coming  to  you.  So  let  it  be  an 
understood  thing,  that  this  matter  remain  entirely  open 
until  you  come  to  the  age  of  twenty-one." 

Ned  accordingly  went  backward  and  forward  to  Hol- 
land for  the  next  two  5^ears,  bearing  letters  and  messages 
between  the  queen  and  the  Prince  of  Orange. 

There  was  some  pause  in  military  operations  after 
the  relief  of  Leyden.  Negotiations  had  for  a  long  time 
gone  on  between  the  King  of  Spain,  acting  by  Royal 
Commissioners,  on  the  one  side,  and  the  prince  and  the 
Estates  on  the  other.     The  Royal  Commissioners  were 


S62  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKH. 

willing  in  his  name  to  make  considerable  concessions,  to 
withdraw  the  Spanish  troops  from  the  country,  aiid  to 
permit  the  Estates-general  to  assemble ;  but  as  they  per- 
sisted that  all  heretics  should  either  recant  or  leave  the 
provinces,  no  possible  agreement  could  be  arrived  at,  as 
the  question  of  religion  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole 
movement. 

During  the  year  1575  the  only  military  operation  of 
importance  was  the  recovery  by  the  Spaniards  of  the 
Island  of  Schouwen,  which,  with  its  chief  town  Zierick- 
zee,  was  recovered  by  a  most  daring  feat  of  arms — the 
Spaniards  wading  for  miles  through  water  up  to  the  neck 
on  a  wild  and  stormy  night,  and  making  their  way  across 
in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  Zeelanders  in  their  ships. 
Zierickzee  indeed  resisted  for  many  months,  and  finally 
surrendered  only  to  hunger  ;  the  garrison  obtaining  good 
terms  from  the  Spaniards,  who  were  so  anxious  for  its 
possession  that  to  obtain  it  they  were  even  willing  for 
once  to  forego  their  vengeance  for  the  long  resistance  it 
had  offered. 

In  March,  1576,  while  the  siege  was  still  going  on, 
Requesens  died  suddenly  of  a  violent  fever,  brought 
on  partly  by  anxiety  caused  by  another  mutiny  of  the 
troops.  This  mutiny  more  than  counterbalanced  the 
advantage  gained  by  the  capture  of  the  Island  of  Schou- 
wen, for  after  taking  possession  of  it  the  soldiers  en- 
gaged in  the  service  at  once  joined  the  mutiny  and 
marched  away  into  Brabant. 

The  position  of  Holland  had  gone  from  bad  to  worse, 
the  utmost  efforts  of  the  population  were  needed  to  re- 
pair the  broken  dykes  and  again  recover  the  submerged 
lands.  So  bare  was  the  country  of  animals  of  all  kinds, 
that  it  had  become  necessary  to  pass  a  law  forbidding 
for  a  considerable  period  the  slaughter  of  oxen,  cows, 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  363 

calves,  sheep,  or  poultry.  Holland  and  Zeeland  had 
now  united  in  a  confederacy,  of  which  the  prince  was 
at  the  head,  and  by  an  Act  of  Union  in  June,  1575,  the 
two  little  republics  became  virtually  one.  Among  the 
powers  and  duties  granted  to  the  prince  he  was  to 
maintain  the  practice  of  the  reformed  evangelical  re- 
ligion, and  to  cause  to  cease  the  exercise  of  all  other 
religions  contrary  to  the  Gospel.  He  was,  however, 
not  to  permit  that  inquisition  should  be  made  into  any 
man's  belief  or  conscience,  or  that  any  man  by  cause 
thereof  should  suffer  trouble,  injury,  or  hindrance. 

Upon  one  point  only  the  prince  had  been  peremptory, 
he  would  have  no  persecution.  In  the  original  terms  he 
had  been  requested  to  suppress  "  the  Catholic  religion," 
but  had  altered  the  words  into  "  religion  at  variance 
with  the  Gospel."  Almost  alone,  at  a  time  when  every 
one  was  intolerant,  the  Prince  of  Orange  was  firmly  re- 
solved that  all  men  should  have  liberty  of  conscience. 

Holland  suffered  a  great  loss  when  Admiral  Boisot 
fell  in  endeavoring  to  relieve  Zierickzee.  The  harbor 
had  been  surrounded  by  the  Spaniards  by  a  submerged 
dyke  of  piles  of  rubbish.  Against  this  Boisot  drove  his 
ship,  which  was  the  largest  of  his  fleet.  He  did  not 
succeed  in  breaking  through.  The  tide  ebbed  and  left 
his  ship  aground,  while  the  other  vessels  were  beaten 
back.  Rather  than  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
he  and  three  hundred  of  his  companions  sprang  overboard 
and  endeavored  to  effect  their  escape  by  swimming,  but 
darkness  came  on  before  he  could  be  picked  up,  and  he 
perished  by  drowning. 

The  mutiny  among  the  Spanish  regiments  spread  rap- 
idly, and  the  greater  part  of  the  German  troops  of  Spain 
took  part  in  it.  The  mutineers  held  the  various  citadels 
throughout  the  country,  and  ravaged  the    towns,   vi^' 


364  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

lages,  and  open  country.  The  condition  of  the  people 
of  Brabant  was  worse  than  ever.  Despair  led  them  to 
turn  again  to  the  provinces  which  had  so  long  resisted 
the  authority  of  Spain,  and  the  fifteen  other  states,  at 
the  invitation  of  the  prince,  sent  deputies  to  Ghent  to  a 
general  congress,  to  arrange  for  a  close  union  between 
the  whole  of  the  provinces  of  the  Netherlands. 

Risings  took  place  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  but  they 
were  always  repressed  by  the  Spaniards  ;  who,  though  in 
open  mutiny  against  their  king  and  officers,  had  no  idea 
of  permitting  the  people  of  the  Netherlands  to  recover 
the  liberty  that  had  at  the  cost  of  so  much  blood  been 
wrung  from  them.  Maastricht  drove  out  its  garrison; 
but  the  Spaniards  advanced  against  the  town,  seized  a 
vast  number  of  women,  and  placing  these  before  them 
advanced  to  the  assault.  The  citizens  dared  not  fire, 
as  many  of  their  own  wives  or  sisters  were  among  the 
women ;  the  town  was  therefore  taken,  and  a  hideous 
massacre  followed. 

Ned  Martin  had  now  been  two  years  engaged  upon 
various  missions  to  Holland,  and  Lord  Walsingham 
himself  acknowledged  to  his  mistress  that  her  choice  of 
the  young  officer  had  been  a  singularly  good  one.  He 
had  conducted  himself  with  great  discretion,  his  reports 
were  full  and  minute,  and  he  had  several  times  had 
audiences  with  the  queen,  and  had  personally  related  to 
her  mfftters  of  importance  concerning  the  state  of  Hol- 
land, and  the  views  of  the  prince  and  the  Estates-gen- 
eral. The  congress  at  Ghent,  and  the  agitation  through- 
out the  whole  of  the  Netherlands,  had  created  a  lively 
interest  in  England,  and  Ned  received  orders  to  visit 
Ghent  and  Antwerp,  and  to  ascertain  more  surely  the 
probability  of  an  organization  of  the  provinces  into  £| 
general  confederation. 


SY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  865 

When  lie  reached  Ghent  lie  found  that  the  attention 
of  the  citizens  was  for  the  time  chiefly  occupied  with 
the  siege  of  the  citadel,  which  was  held  by  a  Spanish 
garrison,  and  he  therefore  proceeded  to  Antwerp.  This 
was  at  the  time  probably  the  wealthiest  city  in  Europe. 
It  carried  on  the  largest  commerce  in  the  world,  its 
warehouses  were  full  of  the  treasures  of  all  countries, 
its  merchants  vied  with  princes  in  splendor.  The  proud 
city  was  dominated,  however,  by  its  citadel,  which  had 
been  erected  not  for  the  purpose  of  external  defense  but 
to  overawe  the  town. 

The  governor  of  the  garrison,  D'Avila,  had  been  all 
along  recognized  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  mutiny. 
The  town  itself  was  garrisoned  by  Germans  who  still 
held  aloof  from  the  mutiny,  but  who  had  been  tampered 
with  by  him.  The  governor  of  the  city,  Champagny, 
although  a  sincere  Catholic,  hated  the  Spaniards,  and 
had  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  prince.  The 
citizens  thought  at  present  but  little  of  the  common 
cause,  their  thoughts  being  absorbed  by  fears  of  their 
own  safety,  threatened  by  the  mutinous  Spanish  troops 
who  had  already  captured  and  sacked  Alost,  and  were 
now  assembling  with  the  evident  intention  of  gathering 
for  themselves  the  rich  booty  contained  within  the  walls 
of  Antwerp. 

As  they  approached  the  town,  a  force  of  five  thousand 
Walloon  infantry  and  twelve  hundred  cavalry  were  dis- 
patched from  Brussels  to  the  aid  of  its  sister  city.  No 
sooner,  however,  did  this  force  enter  the  town  than  it 
broke  into  a  mutiny  which  was  only  repressed  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  by  Champagny.  It  was  at  this 
moment  that  Ned  entered  the  city.  He  at  once  com- 
municated with  the  governor,  and  delivered  to  him 
gome   messages  with  which  he  had    been  charged  by 


366  ^y  Pike  and  DTKt), 

the  Prince  of  Orange,  whom  he  had  visited  on  his 
way. 

"  Had  you  arrived  three  days  since  I  could  have  dis- 
cussed these  matters  with  you,"  the  governor  said; 
"  but  as  it  is  we  are  hourly  expecting  attack,  and  can 
think  of  nothing  but  preparations  for  defense.  I  shall 
be  glad  if  you  can  assist  me  in  that  direction.  Half  the 
German  garrison  are  tiaitors,  the  Walloons  who  have 
just  entered  are  in  no  way  to  be  relied  upon,  and  it  is 
the  burghers  themselves  upon  whom  the  defense  of  the 
town  must  really  fall.  They  are  now  engaged  in 
raising  a  rampart  facing  the  citadel.  I  am  at  once 
proceeding  thither  to  superintend  the  work." 

Ned  accompanied  the  governor  to  the  spot  and  found 
twelve  thousand  men  and  women  laboring  earnestly  to 
erect  a  rampart,  constructed  of  bales  of  goods,  casks  of 
earth,  upturned  wagons,  and  other  bulky  objects.  The 
guns  of  the  fortress  opened  upon  the  workers,  and  so  im- 
peded them  that  night  fell  before  the  fortifications  were 
nearly  completed.  Unfortunately  it  was  bright  moon- 
light, and  the  artillerymen  continued  their  fire  with  such 
accuracy  that  the  work  was  at  last  abandoned,  and  the 
citizens  retired  to  their  homes.  Champagny  did  all  that 
was  possible.  Aided  by  some  burghers  and  his  own 
servants,  he  planted  what  few  cannon  there  were  at  the 
weakest  points  ;  buth  is  general  directions  were  all 
neglected,  and  not  even  scouts  were  posted. 

In  the  morning  a  heavy  mist  hung  over  the  city,  and 
concealed  the  arrival  of  the  Spanish  troops  from  all  the 
towns  and  fortresses  in  the  neighborhood.  As  soon  as 
it  was  fairly  daylight  the  defenders  mustered.  The 
Marquis  of  Havre  claimed  for  the  Walloons  the  post  of 
honor  in  defense  of  the  lines  facing  the  citadel ;  and  six 
hundred  men  were  disposed  here,  while  the  bulk  of  the 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  367 

Qerman  garrison  were  stationed  in  the  principal 
squares. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  mutineers  from  Alost  marched  into 
the  citadel,  raising  the  force  there  to  five  thousand  vet- 
eran infantry  and  six  hundred  cavalry. 

Ned  had  been  all  night  at  work  assisting  the  governor. 
He  had  now  laid  aside  his  ordinary  attire,  and  was  clad 
in  complete  armor.  He  was  not  there  to  fight ;  but  there 
was  clearly  nothing  else  to  do,  unless  indeed  he  made  his 
escape  at  once  to  the  fleet  of  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
which  was  lying  in  the  river.  This  he  did  not  like 
doing  until  it  was  clear  that  all  was  lost.  He  had  seen 
the  Dutch  burghers  beat  back  the  most  desperate  as- 
saults of  the  Spanish  troops,  and  assuredly  the  Walloons 
and  Germans,  who,  without  counting  the  burghers, 
considerably  exceeded  the  force  of  the  enemy,  ought  to 
be  able  to  do  the  same. 

Just  before  daybreak  he  made  his  way  down  to  the 
quays,  ascertained  the  exact  position  of  the  fleet,  and  de- 
termined how  he  had  best  get  on  board.  He  chose  a 
small  boat  from  among  those  lying  at  the  quay,  and  re- 
moved it  to  the  foot  of  some  stairs  by  a  bridge.  He 
fastened  the  head  rope  to  a  ring  and  pushed  the  boat  off, 
so  that  it  lay  under  the  bridge,  concealed  from  the  sight 
of  any  who  might  pass  along  the  whai-ves.  Having  thus 
prepared  for  his  own  safety,  he  was  making  his  way  to 
join  the  governor  when  a  woman  came  out  from  a  house 
in  a  quiet  street. 

As  she  met  him  he  started. 

"  Why,  Magdelene  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  is  it  you  ? 
What  are  you  doing  in  Antwerp  ?  la  the  countess 
here?" 

The  woman  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  Don't  you  remember  me,  Magdalene  ?  the  boy  you 


368  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

dressed  up  as  a  girl  at  Brussels,  and  whom  you  last  saw 
at  Maastricht  ?  " 

"  Bless  me  ! "  the  old  servant  exclaimed,  "  is  it  you, 
sir  ?  I  should  never  have  known  you  again." 

"  Three  years  make  a  great  deal  of  difference,"  Ned 
laughed  ;  "  and  it  is  more  than  that  now  since  we  last 
met." 

"  Please  to  come  in,  sir  ;  the  countess  will  be  right 
glad  to  see  you,  and  so  will  Miss  Gertrude.  They  have 
talked  of  you  hundreds  of  times,  and  wondered  what 
had  become  of  you."  She  opened  the  door  again  with 
the  great  key,  and  led  the  way  into  the  house. 

"  Mistress,"  ^he  said,  showing  the  way  into  the  parlor, 
"  here  is  a  visitor  foryou."  The  countess  and  her  daugh- 
ter had,  like  every  one  else  in  Antwerp,  been  up  all  night, 
and  rose  from  her  seat  by  the  fire  as  the  young  officer 
entered.     He  took  off  his  helmet  and  bowed  deeply. 

"  What  is  your  business  with  me  ?  "  the  countess  asked, 
seeing  that  he  did  not  speak. 

"  I  have  not  come  exactly  upon  business,  countess," 
he  replied,  "  but  to  thank  you  for  past  kindnesses." 

"  Mother,  it  is  the  English  boy  !"  exclaimed  the  young 
lady  sitting  upon  the  other  side  of  the  fire,  rising  from 
her  seat.     Surely,  sir,  you  are  Master  Edward  Martin  ?  " 

"Your  eyes  are  not  in  fault,  Fraulein.  I  am  Edward 
Martin." 

"  I  am  glad  indeed  to  see  you,  sir,"  the  countess  said, 
"  How  often  my  daughter  and  I  have  longed  for  the  time 
when  we  might  again  meet  you  to  tell  you  how  grateful 
we  are  for  the  service  you  did  us.  I  wonder  now  that 
I  did  not  recognize  you  ;  but  you  have  changed  from  a 
lad  into  a  man.  liTou  must  remember  it  is  more  than 
four  years  since  we  were  together  at  Brussels.  As  for 
the  meeting  near  Maastricht,  it  was  such  a  short  one  • 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  369 

and  I  was  so  full  of  joy  at  the  thought  that  Gertrude 
and  I  had  escaped  the  fearful  danger  hanging  over  us 
that  I  scarce  noticed  your  appearance,  nor  had  we  any 
time  to  talk  then.  We  received  the  letter  you  wrote  after 
leaving  us  at  Brussels,  from  The  Hague,  telling  us  that 
you  had  arrived  there  safely.  But  since  you  did  us  that 
service  at  Maastricht  we  have  never  heard  of  you." 

"I  had  not  your  address,"  Ned  replied.  "  And  even 
had  I  known  where  you  were  I  should  not  have  dared 
to  write  ;  for  there  was  no  saying  into  whose  hands  the 
letter  might  not  fall.  But,  countess,  excuse  me  if  I 
turn  to  other  matters,  for  the  time  presses  sorely.  You 
know  that  the  city  will  be  attacked  to-day." 

"  So  every  one  says,"  the  countess  replied.  "  But 
surely  you  do  not  think  that  there  is  any  danger.  The 
Walloons  and  Germans  should  be  able  alone  to  hold  the 
barricades,  and  behind  them  are  all  the  citizens." 

"  I  put  little  faith  in  the  Walloons,"  Ned  said  shortly ; 
"  and  some  of  the  Germans  we  know  have  been  bribed. 
I  would  rather  that  all  were  out  of  the  way,  and  that  it 
were  left  to  the  burghers  alone  to  defend  the  barricades. 
I  have  seen  how  the  citizens  of  the  Netherlands  can 
fight  at  Haarlem  and  Alkmaar.  As  for  these  Walloons, 
I  have  no  faith  in  them.  I  fear,  countess,  that  the 
danger  is  great ;  and  if  the  Spaniards  succeed  in  win- 
ning their  way  into  the  town,  there  is  no  mercy  to  be 
expected  for  man,  woman,  or  child.  I  consider  that  it 
would  be  madness  for  you  to  stay  here." 

"  But  what  are  we  to  do,  sir  ?  "  the  countess  asked. 

"The  only  way,  madam,  is  to  make  your  way  on 
board  the  prince's  fleet.  I  am  known  to  many  of  the 
officers,  and  can  place  you  on  board  at  once.  If  you 
wait  until  the  Spaniards  enter  it  will  be  too  late. 
There  will  be  a  wild  rush  to  the  river,  and  the  boats 
24 


370  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

will  be  swamped.  If  the  attack  fails,  and  the  Spaniards 
retire  from  before  the  city,  you  can  if  you  choose  return 
to  shore,  though  I  should  say  that  even  then  it  will  be 
better  by  far  to  go  to  Rotterdam  or  Delft  ;  unless  you 
decide  to  do  as  you  once  talked  about,  to  find  a  refuge 
for  a  time  in  England." 

"  I  will  accept  your  offer  gladly,  sir,"  the  countess  said. 
"  I  have  long  been  looking  for  some  way  to  leave  the  city. 
But  none  can  go  on  board  the  ships  without  a  pass, 
and  I  have  not  dared  to  ask  for  one.  Not  for  worlds 
would  I  expose  my  daughter  to  the  horrors  of  a  sack. 
Can  we  go  at  once  ?  " 

"  Yes,  madam,  I  have  everything  in  readiness,  and 
would  advise  no  delay." 

"  I  have  nothing  that  I  need  mind  leaving  behind.  I 
am,  as  you  see,  more  comfortable  here  than  I  was  at 
Brussels  ;  but  I  am  still  forced  to  keep  in  concealment. 
In  five  minutes  we  shall  be  ready." 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  371 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  "  SPANISH  FURY." 

In  a  very  short  time  the  countess  and  her  daughter 
returned  to  the  room  where  Ned  was  awaiting  them. 
Each  carried  a  hand-bag. 

"  We  are  ready  now,"  the  countess  said.  "  I  have 
my  jewels  and  purse.  As  for  the  things  we  leave  behind, 
they  are  scarce  worth  the  taking  by  the  Spaniards." 

Locking  the  door  of  the  house  behind  them  the  three 
women  accompanied  Ned  down  to  the  riverside.  He 
took  the  first  boat  that  came  to  hand  and  rowed  them 
down  to  the  fleet,  which  was  moored  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
below  the  town.  He  passed  the  first  ship  or  two,  and 
then  rowed  to  one  with  whose  captain  he  was  acquainted. 

"  Captain  Enkin,"  he  said,  "  I  have  brought  on  board 
two  ladies  who  have  long  been  in  hiding,  waiting  an 
opportunity  of  being  taken  to  Holland — the  Countess 
Von  Harp  and  her  daughter.  I  fear  greatly  that  Ant- 
werp will  fall  to-day,  and  wish,  therefore,  to  place  them 
in  safety  before  the  fight  begins.  Before  sunset,  unless 
I  am  mistaken,  you  will  have  a  crowd  of  fugitives  on 
board." 

"  I  am  very  pleased,  madam,"  the  captain  said,  bowing 
to  the  countess,  "  to  receive  you,  and  beg  to  hand  over 
my  cabin  for  your  use.  The  name  3^ou  bear  is  known  to 
all  Dutchmen  ;  and  even  were  it  not  so,  any  one  intro- 
duced to  me  b^  my  good  friend  Captain  Martin  would 


372  BT  PIKE  ANT)  DYKE. 

» 
be  heartily   welcome.     Are  you  going  to   return  on 

shore  ?  "  he  asked  Ned. 

"  Yes,  I  must  do  so,''  Ned  replied.  "  I  promised  the 
governor  to  stand  by  him  to  the  last ;  and  as  he  has 
scarce  a  soul  on  whom  he  can  rely,  it  is  clearly  my  duty 
to  do  so.  It  is  not  for  me  to  shirk  doing  my  duty  as 
long  as  I  can,  because  I  fear  that  the  day  will  go  against 
us." 

"  You  will  have  difficulty  in  getting  off  again  if  the 
Spaniards  once  enter  the  city,"  the  captain  said.  "  There 
will  be  such  a  rush  to  the  boats  that  they  will  be  swamped 
before  they  leave  the  shore." 

"  I  have  a  boat  hidden  away  in  which  I  hope  to  bring 
off  the  governor  with  me,"  Ned  replied.  "  As  to  my- 
self, I  can  swim  like  a  fish." 

"  Mind  and  get  rid  of  your  armor  before  you  try  it. 
All  the  swimming  in  the  world  could  not  save  you  if 
you  jumped  in  with  all  that  steel  mail  on  you." 

"  I  will  bear  it  in  mind,"  Ned  said.  "  Good-bye,  count- 
ess. Good-bye,  Fraulein  Gertrude.  I  trust  to  see  you 
at  nightfall,  if  not  before." 

"  That  is  a  very  gallant  young  officer,"  Captain  Enkin 
said  as  the  two  ladies  sat  watching  Ned  as  he  rowed  to 
the  shore. 

•'  You  addressed  him  as  Captain  Martin  ?  "^the  count- 
ess said. 

"  Yes,  he  has  been  a  captain  in  the  prince's  service 
fully  three  years,"  the  sailor  said ;  "  and  fought  nobly 
at  Alkmaar,  at  the  naval  battle  on  the  Zuider-Zee,  and 
in  the  sea-fight  when  we  drove  Romero's  fleet  back  in 
Bergen.  He  stands  very  high  in  the  confidence  of  the 
prince,  but  I  do  not  think  he  is  in  our  service  now.  He 
is  often  with  the  prince,  but  I  believe  he  comes  and  goes 
between  England  and  Holland,  and  is,    men  say,  th© 


^Y  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  3?3 

messenger  by  whom  private  communications  between 
the  queen  of  England  and  the  prince  are  chiefly  carried." 

"  He  is  young  to  have  such  confidence  reposed  in 
him,"  the  countess  said. 

"  Yes,  he  is  young,"  Captain  Enkin  replied.  "  Not, 
I  suppose,  beyond  seven  or  eight  and  twenty.  He  was 
a  captain  and  high  in  the  prince's  confidence  when  I 
fii-st  knew  him  three  years  ago,  so  he  must  surely  have 
been  four  or  five  and  twenty  then  ;  and  yet,  indeed,  now 
you  speak  of  it,  raethinks  he  is  greatly  bigger  now  than 
he  was  then.  I  do  not  think  he  was  much  taller  than 
I  am,  and  now  he  tops  me  by  nigh  a  head.  But  I  must 
surely  be  mistaken  as  to  that,  for  the  prince  would 
scarcely  place  his  confidence  in  a  mere  lad." 

The  countess  made  no  reply,  though  she  exchanged 
a  quiet  smile  with  her  daughter.  They  knew  that  Ned 
could  not  be  much  more  than  twenty.  He  was,  he  had 
said,  about  three  years  older  than  Gertrude,  and  she  had 
passed  seventeen  but  by  a  few  months. 

Ned,  on  returning  to  shore,  tied  up  the  boat  and  then 
proceeded  to  the  palace  of  the  governor.  A  servant 
was  holding  a  horse  at  the  door. 

"  The  governor  ordered  this  horse  to  be  ready  and 
saddled  for  you,  sir,  when  you  arrived,  and  begged  you 
to  join  him  at  once  in  the  market-place,  where  he  is 
telling  off  the  troops  to  their  various  stations." 

Leaping  on  the  horse,  Ned  rode  to  the  market-place, 
and  at  once  placed  himself  under  orders  of  the  governor. 

"  There  is  nothing  much  for  you  to  do  at  present," 
Champagny  said.  "  The  troops  are  all  in  their  places, 
and  we  are  ready  when  they  deliver  the  assault." 

It  was  not  until  eleven  o'clock  that  the  Spaniards  ad- 
vanced to  the  attack — three  thousand  of  them,  under 
their  Eletto,  by  the  street  of  St.  Michael ;  the  remainder 


374  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

with  the  Germans,  commanded  by  Romero,  by  that  of 
St.  George.  No  sooner  did  the  compact  masses  approach 
the  barricades  than  the  Walloons,  who  had  been  so  loud 
in  their  boasts  of  valor,  and  had  insisted  upon  having  the 
post  of  danger,  broke  and  fled,  their  commander,  Havre, 
at  their  head ;  and  the  Spaniards,  springing  over  the  ram- 
parts, poured  into  the  streets. 

"  Fetch  up  the  Germans  from  the  exchange !  "  Cham- 
pagny  shouted  to  Ned;  and  leaping  his  horee  over 
a  garden  wall,  he  himself  rode  to  anotlier  station  and 
brought  up  the  troops  there,  and  led  them  in  peraon  to 
bar  the  road  to  the  enemy,  trying  in  vain  to  rally  the 
flying  Walloons  he  met  on  the  way.  For  a  few  minutes 
the  two  parties  of  Germans  made  a  brave  stand ;  but 
they  were  unable  to  resist  the  weight  and  number  of 
the  Spaniards,  who  bore  them  down  by  sheer  force. 
Charapagny  had  fought  gallantly  in  the  mSl^e,  and 
Ned,  keeping  closely  beside  him,  had  well  seconded  his 
efforts ;  but  when  the  Germans  were  borne  down  they 
rode  off,  dashing  through  the  streets  and  shouting  to 
the  burghers  everywhere  to  rise  in  defense  of  their 
homes. 

They  answered  to  the  appeal.  The  bodies  already 
collected  at  the  exchange  and  cattle  market  moved  for- 
ward, and  from  every  house  the  men  poured  out.  The 
Spanish  columns  had  already  divided,  and  were  pouring 
down  the  streets  with  savage  cries.  The  German  cavalry 
of  Havre  under  Van  Eude  at  once  deserted,  and  joining 
the  Spanish  cavalry  fell  upon  the  townsmen.  In  vain 
the  burghers  and  such  of  the  German  infantry  as  re- 
mained faithful  strove  to  resist  their  assailants.  Al- 
though they  had  been  beaten  off  in  their  assaults  upon 
breaches,  the  Spaniards  had  ever  proved  themselves 
invincible  on  level  ground ;  and  now,  inspired  alike  by 


BT  PIKE  AND  BYKE.  375 

the  fury  for  slaughter  and  the  lust  for  gold,  there  was 
no  withstanding  them. 

Round  the  exchange  some  of  the  bravest  defenders 
made  a  rally,  and  burghers  and  Germans,  mingled  to- 
gtlier,  fought  stoutly  until  they  were  slain. 

There  was  another  long  struggle  round  the  town-hall, 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  buildings  in  Europe  ;  and 
for  a  time  the  resistance  was  effective,  until  the  Spanish 
cavalry  and  the  Germans  under  the  traitor  Van  Eude 
charged  down  upon  the  defenders.  Then  they  took 
refuge  in  the  buildings,  and  every  house  became  a  for- 
tress, and  from  window  and  balcony  a  hot  fire  was  poured 
into  the  square.  But  now  a  large  number  of  camp- 
foUowera  who  had  accompanied  the  Spaniards  came  up 
with  torches,  which  had  been  specially  prepared  for 
firing  the  town,  and  in  a  short  time  the  city  hall  and 
other  edifices  in  the  square  were  in  flames. 

The  fire  spread  rapidly  from  house  to  house  and  from 
street  to  street,  until  nearly  a  thousand  buildings  in  the 
most  splendid  and  wealthy  portion  of  the  city  were  in 
a  blaze. 

In  the  street  behind  the  town-hall  a  last  stand  was 
made.  Here  the  margrave  of  the  city,  the  burgomasters, 
senators,  soldiers,  and  citizens  fought  to  the  last,  until 
not  one  remained  to  wield  a  sword.  When  resistance 
had  ceased  the  massacre  began.  Women,  children,  and 
old  men  were  killed  in  vast  numbers,  or  driven  into  the 
river  to  drown  there. 

Then  the  soldiers  scattered  on  the  work  of  plunder. 
The  flames  had  already  snatched  treasures  estimated  at 
six  millions  from  their  grasp,  but  there  was  still  abun- 
dance for  all.  The  most  horrible  tortures  were  inflicted 
upon  men,  women,  and  children  to  force  them  to  reveal 
the  hiding-places,  where  they  were  supposed  to  have 


876  BT  PIKE  AifD  DYKE. 

concealed  their  wealth,  and  for  three  days  a  pandemo- 
nium reigned  in  the  city.  Two  thousand  five  hundred 
had  been  slain,  double  that  number  burned  and  drowned. 
These  are  the  lowest  estimates,  many  placing  the  killed 
at  very  much  higher  figures. 

Champagny  had  fought  very  valiantly,  joining  any 
party  of  soldiers  or  citizens  he  saw  making  a  defense. 
At  last,  when  the  town-hall  was  in  flames  and  all  hope 
over,  he  said  to  Ned,  who  liad  kept  throughout  the  day 
at  his  side :"  It  is  no  use  throwing  away  our  lives. 
Let  us  cut  our  way  out  of  the  city." 

"  I  have  a  boat  lying  in  readiness  at  the  bridge,"  Ned 
said.  "  If  we  can  once  reach  the  stall's  we  can  make  our 
way  off  to  the  fleet." 

As  they  approached  the  river  they  saw  a  Spanish 
column  crossing  the  street  ahead  of  them.  Putting 
spurs  to  their  hoi-ses  they  galloped  on  at  full  speed,  and 
bursting  into  it  hewed  their  way  through  and  continued 
their  course,  followed,  however,  by  a  number  of  the 
Spanish  infantry. 

"  These  are  the  steps  I "  Ned  exclaimed,  leaping  from 
his  horse. 

Champagny  followed  his  example.  The  Spaniards 
were  but  twenty  yards  behind. 

"  If  you  pull  on  that  rope  attached  to  the  ring  a  boat 
lying  under  the  bridge  will  come  to  you,"  Ned  said. 
"  I  will  keep  them  back  till  you  are  ready." 

Ned  turned  and  faced  the  Spaniards,  and  for  two  or 
three  minutes  kept  them  at  bay.  His  armor  was  good, 
and  though  many  blows  struck  him  he  was  uninjured, 
while  several  of  the  Spaniards  fell  under  his  sweeping 
blows.  They  fell  back  for  a  moment,  surprised  at  his 
strength ;  and  at  this  instant  the  governor  called  out  that 
all  was  ready. 


p.  &  p.    Ned  turned  and  faced  the  Spaniards— Page  376.  ' 


BY  PIKH  AND  DYKE.  377 

Ned  turned  and  rushed  down  the  steps.  The  governor 
was  already  in  the  boat.  Ned  leaped  on  board,  and  with 
a  stroke  of  his  sword  severed  the  head  rope.  Before  the 
leading  Spaniards  reached  the  bottom  of  the  steps  the 
boat  was  a  length  away.  Ned  seated  himself,  and  seizing 
the  oars  rowed  down  the- river.  Several  shots  were  fired 
at  them  from  the  bridge  and  wharves  as  they  went,  but 
they  passed  on  uninjured.  Ned  rowed  to  the  admiral's 
ship  and  left  the  governor  there,  and  then  rowed  to  that 
of  Captain  Enkin. 

"  Welcome  back,"  the  captain  said  heartily.  "  I  had 
begun  to  fear  that  ill  had  befallen  you.  A  few  fugitives 
came  off  at  noon  with  the  news  that  the  Spaniards  had 
entered  the  city  and  all  was  lost.  Since  then  the  roar 
of  musketry,  mingled  with  shouts  and  yells,  has  been 
unceasing,  and  that  tremendous  fire  in  the  heart  of  the 
city  told  its  own  tale.  For  the  last  three  hours  the  river 
has  been  full  of  floating  corpses ;  and  the  countess  and 
her .  daughter,  who  until  then  had  remained  on  deck, 
retired  to  pray  in  their  cabin.  The  number  of  fugi- 
tives who  have  reached  the  ships  is  very  small.  Doubt- 
less they  crowded  into  such  boats  as  there  were  and 
sank  them.  At  any  rate,  but  few  have  made  their  way 
out,  and  those  chiefly  at  the  beginning  of  the  fight. 
Now  we  had  best  let  the  ladies  know  you  are  here, 
for  they  have  been  in  the  greatest  anxiety  about 
you." 

Ned  went  to  the  cabin  door  and  knocked,  "  I  have 
returned,  countess." 

In  a  moment  the  door  opened.  "  Welcome  back,  in- 
deed. Captain  Martin,"  she  said.  "  We  had  begun  to 
fear  that  we  should  never  see  you  again.  Thankful  in- 
deed am  I  that  you  have  escaped  through  this  terrible 
day.     Are  you   unhurt  ? "   she  asked,   looking   at   his 


378  -Sr  PIKE  AND  BTKM. 

bruised  apd  dented  armor  and  at  his  clothes,  which  were 
splashed  with  blood. 

"  I  have  a  few  trifling  cuts,"  he  replied, "  but  nothing 
worth  speaking  of.  I  am  truly  thankful,  countess,  that 
you  and  j^our  daughter  put  off  with  me  this  morning." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  the  countess  said.  "  I  shudder  when 
I  think  what  would  have  happened  had  we  been  there  in 
the  city.     Wliat  a  terrible  sight  it  is  1" 

"  It  is,  indeed,"  Ned  replied. 

The  shades  of  night  had  now  fallen,  and  over  a  vast 
space  the  flames  were  mounting  high,  and  a  pall  of  red 
smoke,  interspersed  with  myriads  of  sparks  and  flakes  of 
fire,  hung  over  the  captured  city.  Occasional  discharges 
of  guns  were  still  heard,  and  the  shrieks  of  women  and 
the  shouts  of  men  rose  in  confused  din.  It  was  an  im- 
mense relief  to  all  on  board  when  an  hour  later  the  ad- 
miral, fearing  that  the  Spaniards  might  bring  artillery  to 
bear  upon  the  fleet,  ordered  the  anchors  to  be  weighed, 
and  the  fleet  to  drop  a  few  miles  below  the  town. 

After  taking  off  his  armor,  washing  the  blood  from 
his  wounds  and  having  them  bound  up,  and  attiring 
himself  in  a  suit  lent  him  by  the  captain  until  he  should 
get  to  Delft,  where  he  had  left  his  valise,  Ned  partook 
of  a  good  meal,  for  he  had  taken  nothing  but  a  manchet 
of  bread  and  a  cup  of  wine  since  the  previous  night. 
He  then  went  into  the  cabin  and  spent  the  evening  in 
conversation  with  the  countess  and  her  daughter,  the 
latter  of  whom  had  changed  since  they  had  last  met 
to  the  full  as  much  as  he  had  himself  done.  She  had 
then  been  a  girl  of  fourteen — slim  and  somewhat  tall  for 
her  age,  and  looking  pale  and  delicate  from  the  life  of  con- 
finement and  anxiety  they  had  led  at  Brussels,  and  their 
still  greater  anxiety  at  Maastricht.  She  was  now  bud- 
ding into  womanhood.    Her  figure  was  lissome  and 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  S79 

graceful,  her  face  was  thoughtful  and  intelligent,  and 
gave  promise  of  rare  beauty  in  another  year  or  two.  He 
learned  that  they  had  remained  for  a  time  in  the  village 
to  which  they  had  first  gone,  and  had  then  moved  to 
another  a  few  miles  away,  and  had  there  lived  quietly  in  a 
small  house  placed  at  their  disposal  by  one  of  their 
friends.  Here  they  had  remained  unmolested  until  two 
months  before,  when  the  excesses  committed  through- 
out the  countr}'^  by  the  mutinous  soldiery  rendered  it 
unsafe  for  any  one  to  live  outside  the  walls  of  the  town. 
They  then  removed  to  Antwerp,  where  there  was  fa?, 
more  religious  toleration  than  at  Brussels ;  and  tho 
countess  had  resumed  her  own  name,  though  still  living* 
in  complete  retirement  in  the  house  in  which  Ned  hac? 
so  fortunately  found  her. 

"  The  times  have  altered  with  me  for  the  better,"  the 
countess  said.  "  The  Spaniards  have  retired  from  thai* 
part  of  Friesland  where  some  of  my  estates  are  situated, 
and  those  to  whom  Alva  granted  them  have  had  to  fly. 
I  have  a  faithful  steward  there,  and  since  they  have  left 
he  has  collected  the  rents  and  has  remitted  to  me  such 
portions  as  I  required,  sending  over  the  rest  to  England 
to  the  charge  of  a  banker  there.  As  it  may  be  that  the 
Spaniards  will  again  sweep  over  Friesland,  where  they 
still  hold  some  of  the  principal  towns,  I  thought  it  best, 
instead  of  having  my  money  placed  in  Holland,  wli^ere 
no  one  can  foresee  the  future,  to  send  it  to  England, 
where  at  least  one  can  find  a  refuge  and  a  right  to  exer- 
cise our  religion." 

"  I  would  that  you  would  go  there  at  once,  countess ; 
for  surely  at  present  Holland  is  no  place  for  two  unpro- 
tected ladies.  Nothing  would  give  my  mother  greatel 
pleasure  than  to  receive  you  until  you  can  find  a  suita- 
ble home  for  yourselves.     My  sisters  are  but  little  older 


380  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

than  your  daughter,  and  would  do  all  in  their  power  to 
make  her  at  home.  They  too  speak  your  language,  and 
there  are  thousands  of  your  compatriots  in  London." 

"  What  do  you  say,  Gertrude  ?  "  the  countess  asked. 
"  But  I  know  that  your  mind  has  been  so  long  made  up 
that  it  is  needless  to  question  you." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  mother,  I  would  gladly  go  away  any- 
where from  here,  where  for  the  last  six  years  there  has 
been  nothing  but  war  and  bloodshed.  If  we  could  go 
back  and  live  in  Friesland  among  our  own  people  in 
safety  and  peace  I  should  be  delighted  to  do  so,  but  this 
country  is  as  strange  to  us  as  England  would  be.  Our 
friends  stand  aloof  from  us,  and  we  are  ever  in  fear 
either  of  persecution  or  murder  by  the  Spanish  soldiers. 
I  should  be  so  glad  to  be  away  from  it  all ;  and,  as  Cap- 
tain Martin  says,  there  are  so  many  of  our  own  people 
in  London,  that  it  would  scarce  feel  a  strange  land  to 
us. 

"  You  have  said  over  and  over  again  that  you  would 
gladly  go  if  you  could  get  away,  and  now  that  we  can 
do  so,  surely  it  will  be  better  and  happier  for  us  than  to 
go  on  as  we  have  done.  Of  course  it  would  be  better  in 
Holland  than  it  has  been  here  for  the  last  four  years, 
because  we  should  be  among  Protestants  ;  but  we  should 
be  still  exposed  to  the  dangers  of  invasion  and  the  hor- 
rors of  sieges." 

"  It  is  as  my  daughter  says.  Captain  Martin  ;  our 
thoughts  have  long  been  turning  to  England  as  a  ref- 
uge. In  the  early  days  of  the  troubles  I  had  thought 
of  France,  where  so  many  of  our  people  went,  but  since 
St.  Bartholomew  it  has  been  but  too  evident  that  there 
is  neither  peace  nor  safety  for  those  of  the  religion  there, 
and  that  in  England  alone  can  we  hope  to  be  permitted 
to  worship  unmolested.     Therefore,  now  that  the  chance 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  381 

is  open  to  us,  we  will  not  refuse  it.  I  do  not  say  that 
we  will  cross  at  once.  We  have  many  friends  at  Rot- 
terdam and  Delft,  and  the  prince  held  my  husband  in 
high  esteem  in  the  happy  days  before  the  troubles ; 
therefore  I  shall  tarry  there  for  a  while,  but  it  will  be 
for  a  time  only.  It  will  not  be  long  before  the  Span- 
ish again  resume  their  war  of  conquest ;  besides,  we  are 
sick  of  the  tales  of  horror  that  come  to  us  daily,  and  long 
for  calm  and  tranquillity,  which  we  cannot  hope  to  ob- 
tain in  Holland.  Had  I  a  husband  or  brothers  I  would 
share  their  fate,  whatever  it  was,  but  being  alone  and 
unable  to  aid  the  cause  in  any  way  it  would  be  folly  to 
continue  here  and  endure  trials  and  risks.  You  say 
that  you  come  backward  and  forward,  often,  well  then 
in  two  months  we  shall  be  ready  to  put  ourselves  under 
your  protection  and  to  sail  with  you  for  England." 

The  next  morning  the  admiral  despatched  a  ship  to 
Rotterdam  with  the  news  of  the  fate  of  Antwerp,  and 
Ned  obtained  a  passage  in  her  for  himself,  the  ladies, 
and  servant,  and  on  arriving  at  Rotterdam  saw  them 
bestowed  in  comfortable  lodgings.  He  then,  after  an 
interview  with  the  prince,  went  on  board  a  ship  just  leav- 
ing for  England,  and  upon  his  arrival  reported  to  the 
minister,  and  afterward  to  the  queen  herself,  the  terrible 
massacre  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in  Antwerp. 

The  Spanish  fury,  as  the  sack  of  Antwerp  was 
termed,  vastly  enriched  the  soldiers,  but  did  small  bene- 
fit to  the  cause  of  Spain.  The  attack  was  wanton  and 
unprovoked.  Antwerp  had  not  risen  in  rebellion 
against  Philip,  but  had  been  attacked  solely  for  the 
sake  of  plunder ;  and  all  Europe  was  shocked  at  the 
atrocities  that  had  taken  place,  and  at  the  slaughter, 
which  was  even  greater  than  the  massacre  in  Paris  on 
the  eve  of  St.  Bartholomew.  The  queen  remonstrated  in 


S82  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

indignant  terms,  the  feeling  among  the  Protestants  in 
Germany  was  equally  strong,  and  even  in  France  public 
feeling  condemned  the  act. 

In  the  Netlierlands  the  feeling  of  horror  and  indigna- 
tion was  universal.  The  fate  that  had  befallen  Ant- 
werp might  be  that  of  any  other  sister  city.  Every- 
where petitions  were  signed  in  favor  of  the  unity  of  all 
the  Netherlands  under  the  Prince  of  Orange.  Philip's 
new  governor,  Don  John,  had  reached  the  Netherlands 
on  the  very  day  of  the  sack  of  Antwerp,  and  endeavored 
to  allay  the  storm  of  indignation  it  had  excited  by  va- 
rious concessions  ;  but  the  feeling  of  unity,  and  with  i* 
of  strength,  had  grown  so  rapidly  that  the  demands  of 
•the  commissioners  advanced  in  due  proportion,  and  they 
insisted  upon  nothing  less  than  the  restoration  of  their 
ancient  constitution,  the  right  to  manage  their  internal 
affairs,  and  the  departure  of  all  the  Spanish  troops,  from 
the  country. 

Don  John  parleyed  and  parried  the  demands,  and 
months  were  spent  in  unprofitable  discussions,  while  all 
the  time  he  was  working  secretly  among  tlie  nobles  of  Bra- 
bant and  Flanders,  who  were  little  disposed  to  see  with 
complacency  the  triumph  of  the  democracy  of  the  towns 
and  the  establishment  of  religious  toleration.  Upon  all 
other  points  Don  John  and  his  master  were  ready  to 
yield.  The  Spanish  troops  were  sent  away  to  Italy,  the 
Germans  only  being  retained.  The  constitutional  rights 
would  all  have  been  conceded,  but  on  the  question  of 
religious  tolerance  Philip  stood  firm.  At  last,  seeing 
that  no  agreement  would  ever  be  arrived  at,  both  par- 
ties prepared  again  for  war. 

The  Queen  of  England  had  lent  £100,000  on  the  se- 
curity of  the  cities,  and  the  pause  in  hostilities  during 
the  negotiations  had  not  been  altogether  wasted  in  Hoi- 


St  PIKE  AND  i)YKi).  3gS 

land.  There  had  been  a  municipal  insurrection  in  Am- 
sterdam ;  the  magistrates  devoted  to  Philip  had  been 
driven  out,  and  to  the  great  delight  of  Holland,  Amster- 
dam, its  capital,  that  had  long  been  a  stronghold  of  the 
enemy,  a  gate  through  which  he  could  at  will  pour  his 
forces,  was  restored  to  it.  In  Antwerp,  and  several  other 
of  the  cities  of  Brabant  and  Flanders,  the  citizens  razed 
the  citadels  by  which  they  had  been  overawed ;  men, 
women,  and  children  uniting  in  the  work,  tearing  down 
and  carrying  away  the  stones  of  the  fortress  that  had 
worked  them  such  evil. 

Antwerp  had  at  the  departure  of  the  Spanish  troops 
been  again  garrisoned  by  Germans,  who  had  remained  in- 
active during  this  exhibition  of  the  popular  will.  The 
Prince  of  Orange  Himself  had  paid  a  visit  to  the  city, 
and  had,  at  the  invitation  of  Brussels,  proceeded  there, 
and  had  received  an  enthusiastic  reception,  and  for  a 
time  it  seemed  that  the  plans  for  which  so  many  years 
he  had  struggled  were  at  last  to  be  crowned  with  success. 
But  his  hopes  were  frustrated  by  the  treacherj'-  of  the 
nobles  and  the  cowardice  of  the  army  the  patriots  had 
engaged  in  their  service. 

Many  of  the  Spanish  troops  had  been  secretly  brought 
back  again,  and  Don  John  was  preparing  for  a  renewal 
of  the  war. 

Unknown  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  numbers  of  the  no- 
bles had  invited  the  Archduke  Mathias,  brother  of  the 
Emperor  Rudolph  of  Germany,  to  assume  the  govern- 
ment. Mathias,  without  consultation  with  his  brother, 
accepted  the  invitation  and  journeyed  privately  to  the 
Netherlands.  Had  the  Prince  of  Orange  declared  against 
him  he  must  at  once  have  returned  to  Vienna,  but  this 
would  have  aroused  the  anger  of  the  emperor  and  the 
whole  of  Germany.     Had  the  prince  upon  the  other  hand 


384  JBT  PIKE  AND  BYRS. 

abandoned  the  field  and  retired  into  Holland,  he  would 
have  played  into  the  hands  of  his  advei'saries.  Accord- 
ingly he  received  Mathias  at  Antwerp  with  great  state, 
and  the  archduke  was  well  satisfied  to  place  himself  in 
the  hands  of  the  most  powerful  man  in  the  country. 

The  prince's  position  was  greatly  strengthened  by 
the  queen  instructing  her  ministers  to  inform  the  envoy 
of  the  Netherlands  that  she  would  feel  compelled  to 
withdraw  all  succor  of  the  states  if  the  Prince  of  Orange 
was  deprived  of  his  leadership,  as  it  was  upon  him  alone 
that  she  relied  for  success.  The  prince  was  thereupon 
appointed  Ruward  of  Bmbant,  a  position  almost  analo- 
gous to  that  of  dictator.  Ghent,  which  was  second  only 
in  importance  to  Antwerp,  rose  almost  immediately, 
turned  out  the  Catholic  authorities,  and  declared  in  favor 
of  the  prince.  A  new  act  of  union  was  signed  at  Brus- 
sels, and  the  Estates-general  passed  a  resolution  declaring 
Don  John  to  be  no  longer  governor  or  stadtholder  of 
the  Netherlands.  The  Prince  of  Orange  was  appointed 
lieutenant-general  for  Mathias,  and  the  actual  power  of 
the  latter  was  reduced  to  a  nullity,  but  he  was  installed  at 
Brussels  with  the  greatest  pomp  and  ceremony. 

Don  John,  who  had  by  this  time  collected  an  army  of 
twenty  thousand  veterans  at  Namur,  and  had  been  joined 
by  the  Prince  of  Parma,  a  general  of  great  vigor  and 
ability,  now  marched  against  the  army  of  the  Estates,  of 
which  the  command  had  been  given  to  the  nobles  of  the 
country  in  the  hope  of  binding  them  firmly  to  the  national 
cause.  The  patriot  army  fell  back  before  that  of  the 
Spaniards,  but  were  soon  engaged  by  a  small  body  of 
cavalry.  Alexander  of  Parma  came  up  with  some 
twelve  hundred  horse,  dashed  boldly  across  a  dangerous 
swamp,  and  fell  upon  their  flank.  The  Estates  cavalry 
at  once  turned  and  fled,  and  Parma  then  fell  upon  the 


j^r  PIKE  AND  DYK£.  S85 

the  infantry,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  not  only  de- 
feated but  almost  exterminated  them,  from  seven  thou- 
sand to  eight  thousand  being  killed,  and  six  hundred 
taken  prisoners,  the  latter  being  executed  without  mercy 
by  Don  John.  The  loss  of  the  Spaniards  was  only  about 
ten  men.  This  extraordinary  disproportion  of  numbers, 
and  the  fact  that  twelve  hundred  men  so  easily  defeated 
a  force  ten  times  more  numerous,  completely  dashed  to 
the  ground  the  hopes  of  the  Netherlands,  and  showed 
how  utterly  incapable  were  its  soldiers  of  contending  in 
the  field  with  the  veterans  of  Spain. 

The  battle  was  followed  by  the  rapid  reduction  of  a 
large  number  of  towns,  most  of  which  surrendered 
without  resistance  as  soon  as  the  Spanish  troops  ap- 
proached. In  the  meantime  the  Estates  had  assembled 
another  army,  which  was  joined  by  one  composed  of 
twelve  thousand  Germans  under  Duke  Casimir.  Both 
armies  were  rendered  inactive  by  want  of  funds,  and 
the  situation  was  complicated  by  the  entry  of  the  Duke 
Alen9on,  the  brother  of  the  King  of  France,  into  the 
Netherlands.  Don  John,  the  hero  of  the  battle  of 
Lepanto,  who  had  shown  himself  on  many  battlefields 
to  be  at  once  a  great  commander  and  a  valiant  soldier, 
was  prostrate  by  disease,  brought  on  by  vexation,  partly 
at  the  difficulties  he  had  met  with  since  his  arrival  in 
the  Netherlands,  partly  at  the  neglect  of  Spain  to 
furnish  him  with  money  with  which  he  could  set  his 
army,  now  numbering  thirty  thousand,  in  motion,  and 
sweep  aside  all  resistance.  At  this  critical  moment 
his  malady  increased,  and  after  a  week's  illness  he 
expired,  just  two  years  after  his  arrival  in  the  Nether- 
lands. 

He  was  succeeded  at  first  temporarily  and  afterward 
permanently  by  Alexander  of  Parma,  also  a  great  com- 


386  -Br  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

niander,  and  possessing  far  greater  resolution  than  his 
unfortunate  predecessor. 

The  two  years  had  been  spent  by  Edward  Martin  in 
ahnost  "incessant  journeyings  between  London  and  the 
Netherlands.  He  now  held,  however,  a  position  much 
superior  to  that  which  he  had  formerly  occupied.  The 
queen,  after  hearing  from  him  his  account  of  the  sack 
of  Antwerp  and  his  share  in  the  struggle,  had  said  to 
the  secretary,  "  I  think  that  it  is  only  just  that  we 
should  bestow  upon  Captain  Martin  some  signal  mark 
of  our  approbation  at  the  manner  in  which  he  has  for 
two  years  devoted  himself  to  our  service,  and  that 
without  pay  or  reward,  but  solely  from  his  loyalty  to 
our  person,  and  from  his  good-will  toward  the  state. 
Kneel,  Captain  Martin."  The  queen  took  the  sword 
that  Walsingham  handed  to  her,  and  said,  "  Rise,  Sir 
Edward  Martin.  You  will  draw  out,  Mr.  Secretary, 
our  new  knight's  appointment  as  our  special  envoy  to 
the  Prince  of  Orange ;  and  see  that  he  has  proper  ap- 
pointments for  such  a  post.  His  duties  will,  as  before, 
be  particular  to  myself  and  the  prince,  and  will  not 
clash  in  any  way  with  those  of  our  envoy  at  The 
Hague." 

The  delight  of  Ned's  mother  and  sisters  when  he  re- 
turned home  and  informed  them  of  the  honor  that  the 
queen  had  been  pleased  to  bestow  upon  him  was  great 
indeed.     His  father  said  : 

"  Well,  Ned,  I  must  congratulate  you  with  the  others ; 
though  I  had  hoped  to  make  a  sailor  of  you.  However, 
circumstances  have  been  too  much  for  me.  I  own  that 
you  have  been  thrust  into  this  work  rather  by  fortune 
than  design ;  and  as  it  is  so  I  am  heartily  glad  that  you 
have  succeeded.  It  seems  strange  to  me  that  my  boy 
should  have  become  Sir  Edward  Martin,  an  officer  in 


P.&D. 


Ned  receives  Hii>  Knighthood.— Page  386. 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  387 

the  service  of  her  majest}^  and  I  say  frankly  that  just 
at  present  I  would  rather  that  it  had  been  otherwise. 
But  I  suppose  I  shall  get  accustomed  to  it  in  time,  and 
assuredly  none  but  myself  will  doubt  for  a  moment  that 
you  have  gained  greatly  by  all  this  honor  and  dignity." 
Queen  Elizabeth,  although  in  some  respects  par- 
simonious in  the  extreme,  was  liberal  to  her  favorites, 
and  the  new-made  knight  stood  high  in  her  liking. 
She  loved  to  have  good-looking  men  about  her ;  and 
without  being  actually  handsome,  Ned  Martin,  with  his 
height  and  breadth  of  shoulder,  his  easy  and  upright 
carriage,  his  frank,  open  face  and  sunny  smile,  was 
pleasant  to  look  upon.  He  had  served  her  excellently 
for  two  years,  had  asked  for  no  rewards  or  favors,  but 
had  borne  himself  modestly,  and  been  content  to  wait. 
Therefore  the  queen  was  pleased  to  order  her  treasurer 
to  issue  a  commission  to  Sir  Edward  Martin,  as  her 
majesty's  special  envoy  to'  the  Prince  of  Orange,  with 
such  appointments  as  would  enable  him  handsomely  to 
support  his  new  dignity  and  his  position  as  her  repre- 
sentative. 

'  Even  Captain  Martin  was  now  bound  to  confess  that 
Ned  had  gained  profit  as  well  as  honor.  He  did  indeed 
warn  his  son  not  to  place  too  much  confidence  in 
princes  ;  but  Ned  replied,  "  I  do  not  think  the  queen  is 
fickle  in  her  likes  and  dislikes,  father.  But  I  rely  not 
upon  this,  but  on  doing  my  duty  to  the  state  for  further 
employment.  I  have  had  extraordinary  good  fortune, 
too ;  and  have,  without  any  merit  save  that  of  always 
doing  ray  best,  mounted  step  by  step  from  the  deck  of 
the  Good  Venture  to  knighthood  and  employment  by 
the  state.  The  war  appears  to  me  to  be  as  far  from 
coming  to  an  end  as  it  did  six  years  ago  ;  and  if  I  con- 
tinue to  acquit  myself  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  lord 


388  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE: 

treasurer  and  council,  I  hope  that  at  its  conclusion  I 
may  be  employed  upon  such  further  work  as  I  am 
fitted  for." 

"  You  speak  rightly,  Ned ;  and  I  am  wrong  to  feel 
anxiety  about  your  future  when  you  have  already  done 
so  well.  And  now,  Ned,  you  had  best  go  into  the  city 
and  order  from  some  tailor -who  supplies  the  court  such 
suits  as  are  fitting  to  your  new  rank.  The  queen  loves 
brave  dresses  and  bright  colors,  and  you  must  cut  as 
good  a  figure  as  the  rest.  You  have  been  somewhat  of 
an  expense  to  me  these  last  two  years ;  but  that  is  over 
now,  and  I  can  well  afford  the  additional  outlay  to  start 
you  worthily.  What  was  good  enough  for  Captain 
Martin  is  not  good  enough  for  Sir  Edward  Martin  ; 
therefore  stint  not  expense  in  any  way.  I  should  not 
like  tliat  you  should  not  hold  your  own  with  the  young 
fops  of  the  court." 

It  was  well  that  Ned  had  provided  himself  with  a 
new  outfit,  for  he  was  not  sent  abroad  again  for  more 
than  a  month,  and  during  that  time  he  was  almost  daily 
at  court,  receiving  from  the  royal  chamberlain  a  notifi- 
cation that  the  queen  expected  to  see  him  at  all  enter- 
tainments. At  the  first  of  these  Lord  Walsingham  in- 
troduced him  to  many  of  the  young  nobles  of  the  court, 
speaking  very  highly  of  the  services  he  had  rendered ; 
and  as  the  queen  was  pleased  to  speak  often  to  hira  and 
to  show  him  marked  favor,  he  was  exceedingly  well  re- 
ceived, and  soon  found  himself  at  his  ease. 

He  was,  nevertheless,  glad  when  the  order  came  for 
him  to  proceed  again  to  Holland  with  messages  to  the 
Prince  of  Orange.  Upon  his  arrival  there  he  was 
warmly  congratulated  by  the  prince. 

"•  You  liave  well  earned  your  rank,"  the  prince  said. 
"  I  take  some  pride  to  myself  in  having  so  soon  dis- 


BY  PlEtJ  AND  DYKEl  38^ 

covered  that  you  had  good  stuff  in  you.  There  are 
some  friends  of  yours  here  wlio  will  be  glad  to  hear  of 
the  honor  that  has  befallen  you.  The  Countess  Von 
Harp  and  her  daughter  have  been  here  for  the  last  six 
weeks.  I  have  seen  them  several  times,  and  upon  each 
occasion  they  spoke  to  me  of  their  gratitude  for  the  serv- 
ices you  have  rendered  them.  One  of  my  pages  will 
show  you  where  they  are  lodging.  They  are  about  to 
proceed  to  England,  and  I  think  their  decision  is  a  wise 
one,  for  this  country  is  at  present  no  place  for  unpro- 
tected women." 

The  countess  and  her  daughter  were  alike  surprised 
and  ple^i^ed  when  Ned  was  announced  as  Sir  Edward 
Martin.  And  when  a  fortnight  after  Ned  sailed  for 
England,  they  took  passage  in  the  same  ship.  Ned  had 
sent  word  to  his  mother  by  a  vessel  that  sailed  a  week 
previously  that  they  would  arrive  with  him,  and  the 
best  room  in  the  house  had  been  got  in  readiness  for 
them,  and  they  received  a  hearty  welcome  from  Ned's 
parents  and  sisters.  They  stayed  a  fortnight  there  and 
then  established  themselves  in  a  pretty  little  house  in 
the  village  of  Dulwich.  One  of  Ned's  sisters  accom- 
panied them  to  stay  for  a  time  as  Gertrude's  friend  and 
companion. 

Whenever  Ned  returned  home  he  was  a  frequent  visitor 
at  Dulwich,  and  at  the  end  of  two  years  his  sisters  were 
delighted  but  not  surprised  when  he  returned  one  day 
and  told  them  that  Gertrude  Von  Harp  had  accepted 
him.  The  marriage  was  not  to  take  place  for  a  time; 
for  Ned  was  still  young,  and  the  countess  thought  it 
had  best  be  delayed.  She  was  now  receiving  a  regular 
income  from  her  estates ;  for  it  had  been  a  time  of  com- 
parative peace  in  Holland,  and  that  country  was  increas- 
ing fast  in  wealth  and  prosperity. 


890  BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

Alexander  of  Parma  had  by  means  of  his  agents  cor- 
rupted the  greater  part  of  the  nobility  of  Flanders  and 
Brabant,  had  laid  siege  to  Maastricht,  and,  after  a  de- 
fense even  more  gallant  and  desperate  than  that  of 
Haarlem,  and  several  terrible  repulses  of  his  soldiers, 
had  captured  the  city  and  put  the  greater  part  of  its 
inhabitants — men  and  women — to  the  sword.  After 
vain  entreaties  to  Elizabeth  to  assume  the  sovereignty 
of  the  Netherlands,  this  had  been  offered  to  the  Duke 
of  Anjou,  brother  of  the  King  of  France. 

The  choice  appeared  to  be  a  politic  one,  for  Anjou  was 
at  the  time  the  all  but  accepted  suitor  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth, and  it  was  thought  that  the  choice  would  unite 
both  powers  in  defense  of  Holland.  The  duke,  how- 
ever, speedily  proved  his  incapacity.  Irritated  at  the 
smallness  of  the  authority  granted  him,  and  the  inde- 
pendent attitude  of  the  great  towns,  he  attempted  to 
capture  them  by  force.  He  was  successful  in  several 
places ;  but  at  Antwerp,  where  the  French  thought  to 
repeat  the  Spanish  success  and  to  sack  the  city,  the 
burghers  gathered  so  strongly  and  fiercely  that  the 
French  troops  employed  were  for  the  most  part  killed, 
those  who  survived  being  ignominiously  taken  prisoners. 

Anjou  retired  with  his  army,  losing  a  large  number 
of  men  on  his  retreat  by  the  bursting  of  a  dyke  and  the 
flooding  of  the  country.  By  this  time  the  Prince  of 
Orange  had  accepted  the  sovereignty  of  Holland  and 
Zeeland,  which  was  now  completely  separated  fiom  the 
rest  of  the  Netherlands.  After  the  flight  of  Anjou  he 
received  many  invitations  from  the  other  provinces  to 
accept  their  sovereignty ;  but  he  steadily  refused,  hav- 
ing no  personal  ambition,  and  knowing  well  that  no 
reliance  whatever  could  be  placed  upon  the  nobles  of 
Brabant  and  Flanders. 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  891 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  SIEGE    OF  ANTWERP. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  1584,  a  deep  gloom  was  cast 
over  all  Holland  and  England,  by  the  assasination  of  the 
Prince  of  Orange.  Many  attempts  had  been  made 
upon  his  life  by  paid  agents  of  the  King  of  Spain.  One 
had  been  nearly  successful,  and  the  prince  had  lain  for 
weeks  almost  at  the  point  of  death.  At  last  the  hatred 
of  Philip  and  Parma  gained  its  end,  and  the  prince  fell 
a  victim  to  the  bullet  of  an  assasin,  who  came  before  him 
disguised  as  a  petitioner.  His  murderer  was  captured, 
and  put  to  death  with  horrible  tortures,  boasting  of  his 
crime  to  the  last.  It  was  proved  beyond  all  question 
that  he,  as  well  as  the  authors  of  thep  revious  attempts, 
was  acting  at  the  instigation  of  the  Spanish  authorities, 
and  had  been  promised  vast  sums  in  the  event  of  his 
success. 

Thus  died  the  greatest  statesman  of  his  age  ;  a  pure 
patriot,  a  disinterested  politician,  a  great  orator,  a  man 
possessing  at  once  immense  talent,  unbounded  pei-sever- 
ance,  a  fortitude  under  misfortunes  beyond proof,and  an 
unshakable  faith  in  God.  But  terrible  as  was  the  blow 
to  the  Netherlands,  it  failed  to  have  the  effect  which  its 
instigators  had  hoped  from  it.  On  the  very  day  of  the 
murder  the  Estates  of  Holland,  then  sitting  at  Delft, 
passed  a  resolution  "  to  maintain  the  good  cause,  with 
God's  help,  to  the  uttermost,  without  sparing  gold  or 


392  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

blood.  "  The  prince's  eldest  son  had  been  kidnapped 
from  school  in  Leyden  by  Philip's  ordei"S,  and  had  been 
a  captive  in  Spain  for  seventeen  years  under  the  tutor- 
ship of  the  Jesuits.  Maurice,  the  next  son,  now  seven- 
teen years  old,  was  appointed  head  of  the  States  Council. 

But  the  position  of  the  Netherlands  was  still  well-nigh 
despeiate.  Flanders  and  Brabant  lay  at  the  feet  of  the 
Spaniards.  A  rising  which  had  lately  taken  place  had 
been  crushed.  Bruges  had  surrendered  without  a  blow. 
The  Duke  of  Parma,  with  eighteen  thousand  troops, 
besides  his  garrisons,  was  threatening  Ghent  Mechlin, 
Brussels,  and  Antwerp,  and  was  freely  using  promises 
and  bribery  to  induce  them  to  surrender.  Dendermonde 
and  Vilvoorde  both  opened  their  gates,  the  capitulation 
of  the  latter  town  cutting  the  communication  between 
Brussels  and  Antwerp.  Ghent  followed  the  example 
and  surrendered  without  striking  a  blow,  and  at  the 
moment  of  the  assassination  of  the  Prince  of  Orange 
Parma's  army  was  closing  round  Antwerp. 

Sir  Edward  Martin  was  at  Antwerp,  where  he  had  gone 
by  the  queen's  order,  when  he  received  the  news  of  the 
murder  of  the  prince,  whom  he  had  seen  a  few  days  be- 
fore. He  was  filled  with  grief  and  horror  at  the  loss 
of  one  who  had  been  for  six  years  his  friend,  and  whom 
he  regarded  with  enthusiastic  admiration.  It  seemed 
to  him  at  first  that  with  the  death  of  the  prince  the 
cause  of  the  Netherlands  was  lost,  and  had  the  former 
attempts  of  Philip's  emissaries  upon  the  prince's  life 
been  successful  such  a  result  would  no  doubt  have  fol- 
lowed ;  but  the  successful  defense  of  their  cities,  and  the 
knowledge  they  had  gained  that  the  sea  could  be  made 
to  fight  for  them,  had  given  the  people  of  Holland 
strength  and  hope.  Their  material  resources,  too,  were 
larger  than  before,  for  great  numbers  of  the  Protestants 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  893 

from  the  other  provinces  had  emigrated  there,  and  had 
added  alike  to  their  strength  and  wealth. 

At  first,  however,  the  news  caused  something  like 
despair  in  Antwerp.  Men  went  about  depressed  and 
sorrowful,  as  if  they  had  lost  their  dearest  friend  ;  but 
Sainte  Aldegonde,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the  prince 
to  take  charge  of  the  defense  of  Antwerp,  encouraged 
the  citizens,  and  their  determination  to  resist  returned. 
Unfortunately  there  had  already  been  terrible  blundering. 
William  de  Blois,  Lord  of  Treslong  and  Admiral  of  the 
fleet  of  Holland  and  Zeeland,  had  been  ordered  to  carry 
up  to  the  city  provisions  and  munitions  of  war  sufficient 
to  last  for  a  year,  the  money  having  been  freely  voted 
by  the  States  general  of  these  provinces. 

But  Treslong  disobeyed  the  orders,  and  remained  week 
after  week  at  Ostend  drinking  heavily  and  doing  nothing 
else.  At  last  the  States,  enraged  at  his  disobedience  ; 
ordered  him  to  be  arrested  and  thrown  into  prison ;  but 
this  was  too  late  to  enable  the  needed  stores  to  be  taken 
up  to  Antwerp.  The  citizens  were  under  no  uneasiness. 
They  believed  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  block 
the  river,  and  that,  therefore,  they  could  at  all  times  re- 
ceive supplies  from  the  coast.  On  both  sides  of  the 
river  below  the  town  the  land  was  low  and  could  at  any 
time  be  laid  under  water,  and  Sainte  Aldegonde  brought 
the  Prince  of  Orange's  instructions  that  the  great  dyke, 
called  the  Blauwgaren,  was  to  be  pierced.  This  would 
have  laid  the  country  under  water  for  miles,  and  even 
the  blocking  of  the  river  would  not  liave  prevented  the 
arrival  of  ships  with  provisions  and  supplies. 

Unfortunately  Sainte  Aldegonde's  power  was  limited. 
The  Butchers'  Guild  rose  against  the  proposal,  and  their 
leaders  appeared  before  the  magistrates  and  protested 
against  the  step  being  carried  out.     Twelve  thousand 


394  Sr  PIKE  AND  BTKB. 

cattle  grazed  upon  the  pastures  which  would  be  sub- 
merged ;  and  the  destruction  of  farms,  homesteads,  and 
orchards  would  be  terrible.  As  to  the  blocking  up  of 
the  river,  the  idea  was  absurd,  and  the  operation  far 
beyond  the  power  of  man.  The  butchers  were  sup- 
ported by  the  officei-s  of  the  militia,  who  declared  that 
were  the  authorities  to  attempt  the  destruction  of  the 
dyke  the  municipal  soldiery  would  oppose  it  by  force. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things  when  the  only  man  whom 
the  democracy  would  listen  to  and  obey  fell  by  the 
assassin's  knife  and  his  death  and  the  obstinate  stupidity 
of  the  burghers  of  Antwerp  sealed  the  fate  of  the  city. 
Sainte  Aldegonde  had  hailed  the  arrival  of  Elizabeth's 
envoy,  and  consulted  with  him  as  to  the  steps  to  be 
taken  for  the  defense  of  the  city.  He  himself  did  not 
believe  in  the  possibility  of  the  river  being  stopped. 
It  was  nearly  half  a  mile  in  width  and  sixty  feet  in 
depth,  with  a  tidal  rise  and  fall  of  eleven  feet.  Ned 
agreed  with  the  governor  or  burgomaster — for  this  was 
Saint  Aldegonde's  title — that  the  work  of  blocking  this 
river  seemed  impossible,  but  his  reliance  upon  the  opinion 
of  the  prince  was  so  great  that  he  did  what  he  could 
toward  persuading  the  populace  to  permit  the  plans  to 
be  carried  out.  But  Elizabeth  had  so  often  disappointed 
the  people  of  the  Netherlands  that  her  envoy  possessed 
no  authority,  and  the  magistrates,  with  whom  were  the 
ward  masters,  the  deans  of  all  the  guilds,  the  presidents  of 
chambers  and  heads  of  colleges,  squabbled  and  quarreled 
among  themselves,  and  nothing  was  done. 

The  garrison  consisted  only  of  a  regiment  of  English 
under  Colonel  Morgan  and  a  Scotch  regiment  under  Colo- 
nel Balfour,  but  these  were  in  a  state  of  indiscipline,  and 
a  mutiny  had  shortly  before  broken  out  among  them. 
Many  of  the  troops  had  deserted  to  Parma  and  some  had 


6T  PIKE  AND  DYKK  396 

returned  home,  and  it  was  not  until  Morgan  had  be- 
headed Captain  Lee  and  Captain  Powell  that  order  was 
restored  among  them.  Beside  these  were  the  burgher 
militia,  who  were  brave  and  well  trained,  but  insubordi- 
nate, and  ready  on  every  occasion  to  refuse  obedience  to 
authority. 

The  first  result  of  the  general  confusion  which  pre- 
vailed in  Antwerp  was  that  Herenthals  was  allowed  to 
fall  without  assistance.  Had  this  small  but  important 
city  been  succored  it  would  have  enabled  Antwerp  to 
protract  its  own  defense  for  some  time. 

The  veteran  Mondragon  as  he  took  possession  re- 
marked, "  Now  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  Prince  of  Orange 
is  dead ;  "  and  indeed  it  was  only  under  his  wise  supervis- 
ion and  authority  that  anything  like  concerted  action 
between  the  cities,  which  were  really  small  republics, 
was  possible. 

Quietly  but  steadily  the  Duke  of  Parma  established  for- 
tified posts  at  various  points  on  both  banks  of  the  Lower 
Scheldt,  thereby  rendering  its  navigation  more  difficult, 
and  covering  in  some  degree  the  spot  where  he  intended 
to  close  the  river.  Nine  miles  below  the  city  were  two 
forts — Lillo  and  Liefkenshoek — one  on  either  side  of  the 
stream.  The  fortification  of  Lillo  were  complete,  but 
those  of  Liefkenshoek  were  not  finished  when  Parma  or- 
dered the  Marquis  of  Richebourg  to  carry  it  by  assault. 
It  was  taken  by  surprise,  and  the  eight  hundred  men 
who  composed  its  garrison  were  all  killed  or  drowned. 
This  first  Wow  took  place  on  the  very  day  the  Prince  of 
Orange  was  killed. 

Lillo  was  garrisoned  by  Antwerp  volunteers,  called 
the  Young  Bachelors,  together  with  a  company  of  French 
under  Captain  Gascoigne,  and  four  hundred  Scotch  and 
EDglishmen  under  Colonel  Morgan.     Mondragon  was 


396  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ordered  to  take  the  place  at  any  cost.  He  took  up  his 
position  with  five  thousand  men  at  the  country  house 
and  farm  of  Lillo,  a  short  distance  from  the  fort,  planted 
his  batteries  and  opened  fire.  Th  fort  responded  briskly 
and  finding  that  the  walls  were  little  injured  by  his  artil- 
lery fire  Mondragon  tried  to  take  it  by  mining.  Teligny, 
however,  run  counter  mines,  and  for  three  weeks  the 
siege  continued,  the  Spaniards  gaining  no  advantage  and 
losing  a  considerable  number  of  men.  At  last  Teligny 
made  a  sortie,  and  a  determined  action  took  place  with- 
out advantage  on  either  side.  The  defenders  were  then 
recalled  to  the  fort,  the  sluice  gates  ware  opened,  and 
the  waters  of  the  Scheldt,  swollen  by  a  high  tide,  poured 
over  the  country.  Swept  by  the  fire  of  the  guns  of  the 
fort  and  surrounded  by  the  water,  the  Spaniards  were 
forced  to  make  a  rapid  retreat ;  struggling  breast  high 
in  the  waves. 

Seeing  the  uselessness  of  the  siege,  the  attempt  to  cap- 
ture Lillo  was  abandoned,  having  cost  the  Spaniards  no 
less  than  two  thousand  lives.  Parma's  own  camp  was  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  at  the  villages  of  Beveren, 
Kalloo,  and  Borght,  he  was  thus  nearly  opposite  to  Ant- 
werp, as  the  river  swept  round  with  a  sharp  curve.  He 
had  with  him  half  his  army,  while  the  rest  were  at  Sta- 
broek,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  nearly  ten  miles 
below  Antwerp.  Kallo  stood  upon  rising  ground,  and 
was  speedily  transformed  into  a  bustling  town.  From 
this  point  an  army  of  men  dug  a  canal  to  Steeken,  a  place 
on  the  river  above  Antwerp  twelve  miles  from  Kalloo, 
and  as  soon  as  Ghent  and  Dendermond  had  fallen,  great 
rafts  of  timber,  fleets  of  boats  laden  with  provisions, 
munitions,  building  materials,  and  every  other  requisite 
for  the  great  undertaking  Parma  had  in  view  were 
brought  to  Kalloo. 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  397 

To  this  place  was  brought  also,  by  Parma's  orders,  the 
shipwrights,  masons,  ropemakers  sailors,  boatmen,  bakers, 
brewers,  and  butchers  of  Flanders  and  Brabant,  and  work 
went  on  unceasingly.  But  while  the  autumn  wore  on 
the  river  was  still  open  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  Spanish  bat- 
teries on  the  banks  the  daring  sailors  of  Zeeland  brought 
up  their  ships  laden  with  corn  to  Antwerp,  where  the 
price  was  already  high.  Had  this  traffic  been  continued 
Antwerp  would  soon  have  been  provisioned  for  a  year's 
siege ;  but  the  folly  and  stupidity  of  the  municipal  au- 
thorities put  a  stop  to  it,  for  theyenacted  that,  instead  of 
the  high  prices  current  for  gi-ain,  which  had  tempted  the 
Zeelanders  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  the  Spanish  batteries, 
a  price  but  little  above  that  obtainable  in  other  places 
should  be  given.  The  natural  result  was,  the  supply  of 
provisions  ceased  at  once. 

"  Did  3'ou  ever  see  anything  like  the  obstinacy  and 
folly  of  these  burghers?"  Sainte  Aldegonde  said  in  de- 
spair to  Ned,'when,  in  spite  of  his  entreaties,  this  suicidal 
edict  had  been  issued.  "  What  possible  avail  is  it  to 
endeavor  to  defend  a  city  which  seems  bent  on  its  own 
destruction  ?" 

"  The  best  thing  to  do,"  Ned  replied  in  great  anger, 
"  would  be  to  surround  the  town-hall  with  the  com- 
panies of  Morgan's  regiment  remaining  here,  and  to  hang 
every  one  of  these  thick-headed  and  insolent  trades- 
men." 

"  It  would  be  the  best  way,"  Sainte  Aldegonde  agreed, 
"  if  we  had  also  a  sufficient  force  to  keep  down  the 
city.  These  knaves  think  vastly  more  of  their  own  privi- 
leges than  of  the  good  of  the  State,  or  even  of  the  safety 
of  the  town.  Here,  as  in  Ghent,  the  people  are  divided 
into  sections  and  parties,  who,  when  there  is  no  one  else 
to  q^uarrel  with,  are  evety  ready  to  fly  at  each  other'ij 


398  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE, 

throats.  Each  of  these  leaders  of  guilds  and  presidents 
of  chambers  considers  himself  a  little  god,  and  it  is  quite 
enough  if  any  one  else  expresses  an  opinion  for  the  ma- 
jority to  take  up  at  once  the  opposite  view." 

"  I  looked  in  at  the  town-hall  yesterday,"  Ned  said, 
"  and  such  an  uproar  was  going  on  that  no  one  could 
be  heard  to  speak.  Twenty  men  were  on  their  feet  at 
once,  shouting  and  haranguing,  and  paying  not  the 
slightest  attention  to  each  other ;  while  the  rest  joined 
in  from  time  to  time  with  deafening  cries  and  yells. 
Never  did  I  see  such  a  scene.  And  it  is  upon  such  men 
as  these  that  it  rests  to  decide  upon  the  measures  to  be 
taken  for  the  safety  of  the  city  ! " 

"  Ah,  if  we  had  but  the  prince  here  among  us  again 
for  a  few  hours  there  would  be  some  hope,"  Sainte  Al- 
degonde  said ;  "  for  he  would  be  able  to  persuade  the 
people  that  in  times  like  these  there  is  no  safety  in  many 
counselors,  but  that  they  must  be  content  for  the  time 
to  obey  one  man." 

On  the  Flemish  side  of  the  river  the  sluices  had  been 
opened  at  Saftingen.  The  whole  country  there,  with 
the  exception  of  the  ground  on  which  Kalloo  and  the 
other  villages  stood,  was  under  water.  Still  the  Blauw- 
garen  dyke,  and  an  inner  dyke  called  the  Kowenstyn, 
barred  back  the  water,  which,  had  it  free  course,  would 
have  turned  the  country  into  a  sea  and  given  passage  to 
the  fleets  of  Zeeland.  Now  that  it  was  too  late,  those 
who  had  so  fiercely  opposed  the  plan  at  first  were  eager 
that  these  should  be  cut.  But  it  was  now  out  of  their 
power  to  do  so.  The  Lord  of  Kowenstyn,  who  had  a 
castle  on  the  dyke  which  bore  his  name,  had  repeatedly 
urged  upon  the  Antwerp  magistracy  the  extreme  im- 
portance of  cutting  through  this  dyke,  even  if  they  de- 
ferred the  destruction  of  the  outer  one.     Enraged  a^ 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  399 

their  obstinacy  and  folly,  and  having  the  Spanish  armies 
all  round  him,  he  made  terms  with  Parma,  and  the 
Spaniards  established  themselves  firmly  along  the  bank, 
built  strong  redoubts  upon  it,  and  stationed  five  thou- 
sand men  there. 

As  the  prince  had  foreseen,  the  opening  of  the  Saftin- 
gen  sluice  had  assisted  Parma  instead  of  adding  to  his 
difficulties ;  for  he  was  now  no  longer  confined  to  the 
•  canal,  but  was  able  to  bring  a  fleet  of  large  vessels,  laden 
.with  cannon  and  ammunition,  from  Ghent  down  the 
Scheldt,  and  in  through  a  breach  through  the  dyke  of 
Borght  to  Kalloo.  Sainte  Aldegonde,  in  order  to  bar  the 
Borght  passage,  built  a  work  called  Fort  Teligny  upon 
the  dyke,  opposite  that  thrown  up  by  the  Spaniards,  and 
in  the  narrow  passage  between  them  constant  fighting 
went  on  between  the  Spaniards  and  patriots.  Still  the 
people  of  Antwerp  felt  confident,  for  the  Scheldt  was 
still  open,  and  when  food  became  short  the  Zeeland  fleet 
could  at  any  time  sail  up  to  their  assistance.  But  be- 
fore the  winter  closed  in  Parma  commenced  the  work  for 
which  he  had  made  such  mighty  preparations. 

Between  Kalloo  and  Gordam,  on  the  opposite  side,  a 
sand  bar  had  been  discovered,  which  somewhat  dimin- 
ished the  depth  of  the  stream  and  rendered  pile-driving 
comparatively  easy.  A  strong  fort  was  erected  on  each 
bank  and  the  work  of  driving  in  the  piles  began.  From 
each  side  a  framework  of  heavy  timber,  supported  on 
these  massive  piles,  was  carried  out  so  far  that  the 
width  of  open  water  was  reduced  from  twenty-four  to 
thirteen  hundred  feet,  and  strong  blockhouses  were 
erected  upon  each  pier  to  protect  them  from  assault. 
Had  a  concerted  attack  been  made  by  the  Antwerp  ships 
from  above,  and  the  Zeeland  fleet  from  below,  the  works 
could  at  this  tim&  have  been  easily  destroyed.     But  the 


400  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

fleet  had  been  paralyzed  by  the  insubordination  of 
Treslong,  and  there  was  no  plan  or  concert ;  so  that 
although  constant  skirmishing  went  on,  no  serious  attack 
was  made. 

The  brave  Teligny,  one  night  going  down  in  a  row- 
boat  to  communicate  with  the  Zeelanders  and  arrange 
for  joint  action,  was  captured  by  the  Spanish  boats,  and 
remained  for  six  yeai-s  in  prison.  His  loss  was  a  very 
serious  blow  to  Antwerp  and  to  the  cause.  On  the  13th 
of  November  Parma  sent  in  a  letter  to  Antwerp,  beg- 
ging the  citizens  to  take  compassion  on  their  wives 
and  children  and  make  terms.  Parma  had  none  of  the 
natural  bloodthiratiness  of  Alva,  and  would  have  been 
really  glad  to  have  arranged  mattei-s  without  further 
fighting  ;  especially  as  he  was  almost  without  funds  and 
the  attitude  of  the  King  of  France  was  so  doubtful  that 
he  knew  that  at  any  moment  his  plans  might  be  over- 
thrown. 

The  States  in  January  attempted  to  make  a  diversion 
in  favor  of  Antwerp  by  attacking  Bois-le  Due,  a  town 
from  which  the  Spaniards  drew  a  large  portion  of  their 
supplies.  Parma,  although  feeling  the  extreme  impor- 
tance of  this  town,  had  been  able  to  spare  no  men  for  its 
defense  ;  and  although  it  was  strong,  and  its  burghers 
notably  brave  and  warlike,  it  might  be  readily  captured 
by  surprise.  Count  Hohenlohe  was  entrusted  with  the 
enterprise,  and  with  four  thousand  infantry  and  two 
hundred  cavalry  advanced  toward  the  place.  Fifty 
men,  under  an  officer  who  knew  the  town,  hid  at  night 
near  the  gate,  and  when  in  the  morning  the  portcullis 
was  lifted,  rushed  in,  overpowered  the  guard,  and  threw 
open  the  gate,  and  Hohenlohe,  with  his  two  hundred 
troopers  and  five  hundred  pikemen,  entered. 

These  at  once,  instead  of  securing  the  town,  scattered 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  401 

to  plunder.  It  happened  that  forty  Spanish  lancers 
and  thirty  foot  soldiers  had  come  into  the  town  the 
night  before  to  form  an  escort  for  a  convoy  of  provisions. 
They  were  about  starting  when  the  tumult  broke  out. 
As  Hohenlohe's  troops  thought  of  nothing  but  pillage, 
time  was  given  to  tlie  burghers  to  seize  their  arms  ;  and 
they,  with  the  little  body  of  troops,  fell  upon  the  plun- 
derers, who,  at  the  sight  of  the  Spanish  uniforms,  were 
seized  with  a  panic.  Hohenlohe  galloped  to  the  gate  to 
being  in  the  rest  of  the  troops  ;  but  while  he  was  away 
one  of  its  guards,  although  desperately  wounded  at  its 
capture,  crawled  to  the  ropes  which  held  up  the  port- 
cullis and  cut  them  with  his  knife.  Thus  those  within 
were  cut  off  from  their  friends.  Many  of  them  were 
killed,  others  threw  themselves  from  the  walls  into  the 
moat,  and  very  few  of  those  who  had  entered  made 
their  escape. 

When  Hohenlohe  returned  with  two  thousand  fresh 
troops  and  found  the  gates  shut  in  his  face,  he  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  ride  away,  the  enterprise  having 
failed  entirely  through  his  own  folly  and  recklessness  ; 
for  it  was  he  himself  who  had  encouraged  his  followers 
to  plunder.  Had  he  kept  them  together  until  the  main 
force  entered,  no  resistance  could  have  been  offered  to 
him,  or  had  he  when  he  rode  out  to  fetch  reinforcements 
left  a  guard  at  the  gate  to  prevent  its  being  shut,  the 
town  could  again  have  been  taken.  Parma  himself 
wrote  to  Philip  acknowledging  that  "  Had  the  rebels 
succeeded  in  their  enterprise,  I  sliould  have  been  com- 
pelled to  have  abandoned  the  siege  of  Antwerp." 

But  now  the  winter,  upon  which  the  people  in  Ant- 
werp had  chiefly  depended  for  preventing  the  blocking 
*of  the  stream,  was  upon  the  besiegers.     The  great  river, 

lashed  by  storms  into  fury,  and  rolling  huge  masses  of 
26 


402  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

ice  up  and  down  with  the  tide,  beat  against  the  piers, 
and  constantly  threatened  to  carry  them  away.  But  the 
structure  was  enormously  strong.  The  piles  had  been 
driven  fifty  feet  into  the  river  bed,  and  withstood  the 
force  of  the  stream,  and  on  the  25th  of  February  the 
Scheldt  was  closed. 

Parma  had  from  the  first  seen  that  it  was  absolutely 
impossible  to  drive  piles  across  the  deep  water  between 
the  piei*s,  and  had  prepared  to  connect  them  with  a 
bridge  of  boats.  For  this  purpose  he  had  constructed 
thirty-two  great  barges,  each  sixty-two  feet  in  length, 
and  twelve  in  breadth.  These  were  moored  in  pairs 
with  massive  chains  and  anchors,  the  distance  between 
each  pair  being  twenty-two  feet.  All  were  bound  to- 
gether with  chains  and  timbers  and  a  roadway  protected 
by  a  parapet  of  massive  beams  was  formed  across  it. 
Each  boat  was  turned  into  a  fortress  by  the  erection  of 
solid  wooden  redoubts  at  each  end,  mounting  heavy 
guns,  and  was  manned  by  thirty-two  soldiers  and  four 
sailors.  The  forts  at  the  end  of  the  bridge  each  mounted 
ten  great  guns,  and  twenty  armed  vessels  with  heavy 
pieces  of  artillery  were  moored  in  front  of  each  fort. 
Thus  the  structure  was  defended  by  one  hundred  and 
seventy  great  guns. 

As  an  additional  protection  to  the  bridge,  two  heavy 
rafts,  each  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  composed 
of  empty  barrels,  heavy  timbers,  ships'  masts,  and  wood- 
work bound  solidly  together,  were  moored  at  some  little 
distance  above  and  below  the  bridge  of  boats.  These 
rafts  were  protected  by  projecting  beams  of  wood  tipped 
with  iron,  to  catch  any  vessels  floating  down  upon  them. 
The  erection  of  this  structure  was  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable military  enterprises  ever  carried  out. 

Now  that  it  was   too  late  the  people   of  Antwerp 


ST  PIKE  Ani)  DTKW.  40S 

bitterly  bewailed  their  past  folly,  Avhich  had  permitted 
an  enterprise  that  could  at  any  moment  have  been  inter- 
rupted to  be  carried  to  a  successful  issue. 

But  if  something  like  despair  seized  the  citizens  at 
the  sight  of  the  obstacle  that  cut  them  off  from  all  hope 
of  succor,  the  feelings  of  the  great  general  whose  enter- 
prise and  ability  had  carried  out  the  work  were  almost 
as  depressed.  His  troops  had  dwindled  to  the  mere 
shadow  of  an  army,  the  cavalry  had  nearly  disappeared, 
the  garrisons  in  the  various  cities  were  starving,  and 
the  burghers  had  no  food,  either  for  the  soldiers  or  them- 
selves. 

The  troops  were  two  years  behindhand  in  their  pay. 
Parma  had  long  exhausted  every  means  of  credit,  and 
his  appeals  to  his  sovereign  for  money  met  with  no  re- 
sponse. But  while  in  his  letters  to  Philip  he  showed 
the  feelings  of  despair  which  possessed  him,  he  kept  a 
smiling  countenance  to  all  else.  A  spy  having  been 
captured,  he  ordered  him  to  be  conducted  over  every 
part  of  the  encampment.  The  ports  and  bridge  were 
shown  to  him,  and  he  was  requested  to  count  the  pieces 
of  artillery,  and  was  then  sent  back  to  the  town  to  in- 
form the  citizens  of  what  he  had  seen. 

At  this  moment  Brussels,  which  had  long  been  be- 
sieged, was  starved  into  surrender,  and  Parma  was  rein- 
forced by  the  troops  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  siege 
of  that  city.  A  misfortune  now  befell  him  similar  to 
that  which  the  patriots  had  suffered  at  Bois-le-Duc. 
He  had  experienced  great  inconvenience  from  not  possess- 
ing a  port  on  the  sea-coast  of  Flanders,  and  consented 
to  a  proposal  of  La  Motte,  one  of  the  most  experienced 
of  the  Walloon  generals,  to  surprise  Ostend.  On  the 
night  of  the  29th  of  March,  La  Motte,  with  two  thousand 
foot  and  twelve  hundred  cavalry,  surprised  and  carried 


404  BY  PIKE  AlfD  DTKS. 

the  old  port  of  the  town.  Leaving  an  officer  in  charge 
of  the  position,  he  went  back  to  bring  up  the  rest  of 
his  force.  In  his  absence  the  soldiers  scattered  to 
plunder.  The  citizens  roused  themselves,  killed  many 
of  them,  and  put  the  rest  to  flight,  and  by  the  time  La 
Motte  returned  with  the  fresh  troops  tlie  panic  had  be. 
come  so  general  that  the  enterprise  had  to  be  abandoned. 

The  people  of  Antwerp  now  felt  that  unless  some 
decisive  steps  were  taken  their  fate  was  sealed.  A 
number  of  armed  vessels  sailed  up  from  Zeeland,  and, 
assisted  by  a  detachment  from  Fort  Lillo,  suddenly  at- 
tacked and  carried  Fort  Liefkenshoek,  which  had  been 
taken  from  them  at  the  commencement  of  the  siege,  and 
also  Fort  St.  Anthony  lower  down  the  river.  In  advanc- 
ing toward  the  latter  fort  they  disobeyed  Sainte  Alde- 
gonde's  express  orders,  whicJi  were  that  they  should, 
after  capturing  Liefkenshoek,  at  once  follow  the  dyke 
up  the  river  to  the  point  where  it  was  broken  near  the 
fort  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  and  should  there  instantly 
throw  up  strong  works. 

Had  they  followed  out  these  orders  they  could  from 
this  point  have  battered  the  bridge,  and  destroyed  this 
barrier  over  the  river.  But  the  delay  caused  by  the 
attack  on  the  Fort  St.  Anthony  was  fatal,  for  at  night 
Parma  sent  a  strong  body  of  soldiers  and  sappers  in  boats 
from  Kalloo  to  the  broken  end  of  the  dyke,  and  these 
before  morning  threw  up  works  upon  the  very  spot  where 
Sainte  Aldegonde  had  intended  the  battery  for  the  de- 
struction of  the  bridge  to  be  erected.  Nevertheless  the 
success  was  a  considerable  one.  The  possession  of  Lillo 
and  Liefkenshoek  restored  to  the  patriots  the  command 
of  the  river  to  within  three  miles  of  the  bridge,  and 
enabled  the  Zeeland  fleet  to  be  brought  up  at  that  point. 

Another  blow  was   now  meditated.     There   was  in 


BY  PIKE  AifD  DYKE.  406 

Antwerp  an  Italian  named  Gianobelli,  a  man  of  great 
science  and  inventive  power.  He  had  first  gone  to  Spain 
to  offer  his  inventions  to  Philip,  but  had  met  with  such 
insolent  neglect  there  that  he  had  betaken  himself  in 
a  rage  to  Flanders,  swearing  that  the  Spaniards  should 
repent  their  treatment  of  him.  He  had  laid  his  plans 
before  the  Council  of  Antwerp,  and  had  asked  from 
them  three  ships  of  a  hundred  and  fifty,  three  hundred 
and  fifty,  and  five  hundred  tons  respectively,  besides 
these  he  wanted  sixty  flat-bottomed  scows.  Had  his 
request  been  complied  with  it  is  certain  that  Parma's 
bridge  would  have  been  utterly  destroyed ;  but  the  lead- 
ing men  were  building  a  great  ship  or  floating  castle  of 
their  own  design,  from  which  they  expected  such  great 
things  that  they  christened  it  the  End  of  the  War. 
Gianobelli  had  warned  them  that  this  ship  would  cer- 
tainly turn  out  a  failure.  However,  they  persisted,  and 
instead  of  granting  him  the  ships  he  wanted,  only  gave 
him  two  small  vessels  of  seventy  and  eighty  tons. 
Although  disgusted  with  their  parsimony  on  so  momen- 
tous an  occasion,  Gianobelli  set  to  work  with  the  aid  of 
two  skillful  artisans  of  Antwerp  to  fit  them  up. 

In  the  hold  of  each  vessel  a  solid  flooring  of  brick 
and  mortar  a  foot  thick  was  first  laid  down.  Upon  this 
was  built  a  chamber  of  masonry  forty  feet  long,  three 
and  a  half  feet  wide,  and  as  many  high,  and  with  side 
walls  five  feet  thick.  This  chamber  was  covered  with  a 
roof  six  feet  thick  of  tombstones  placed  edgeways,  and 
was  filled  with  a  powder  of  Gianobelli's  own  invention. 
Above  was  piled  a  pyramid  of  millstones,  cannon-balls, 
chain-shot,  iron-hooks,  and  heavy  missiles  of  all  kinds, 
and  again  over  these  were  laid  heavy  marble  slabs.  The 
rest  of  the  hold  was  filled  with  paving-stones. 

One  ship  was  christened  the  Fortune,  and  on  this  the 


406  BT  PIKS  AND  DYKS. 

hiine  was  to  be  exploded  by  a  slow  match,  cut  so  as  to 
explode  at  a  calculated  moment.  The  mine  on  board 
the  Hope  was  to  be  started  by  a  piece  of  clock-work, 
which  at  the  appointed  time  was  to  strike  fire  from  a  flint. 
Planks  and  woodwork  were  piled  on  the  decks  to  give 
to  the  two  vessels  the  appearance  of  simple  fire-ships. 
Thirty-two  small  craft,  saturated  with  tar  and  turpentine 
and  filled  with  inflammable  materials,  were  to  be  sent 
down  the  river  in  detachments  of  eight  every  half  hour, 
to  clear  away  if  possible  the  raft  above  the  bridge  and 
to  occupy  the  attention  of  the  Spaniards. 

The  5th  of  April,  the  day  after  the  capture  of  the  Lief- 
kenshoek,  was  chosen  for  the  attempt.  It  began  badly. 
Admiral  Jocobzoon,  who  was  in  command,  instead  of 
sending  down  the  fire-boats  in  batches  as  arranged,  sent 
them  all  off  one  after  another,  and  started  the  two  mine 
.ships  immediately  afterward.  As  soon  as  their  approach 
was  discovered,  the  Spaniards,  who  had  heard  gmve 
rumors  that  an  attack  by  water  was  meditated,  at  once 
got  under  arms  and  mustered  upon  the  bridge  and  forts. 
Parma  himself,  with  all  his  principal  officers,  superin- 
tended the  arrangements.  As  the  fleet  of  small  ships 
approached  they  burst  into  flames.  The  Spaniards  si- 
lently watched  the  approaching  danger,  but  soon  began 
to  take  heart  again.  Many  of  the  boats  grounded  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  before  reaching  their  destination,  others 
burned  out  and  sank,  while  the  rest  drifted  against  the 
raft,  but  were  kept  from  touching  it  by  the  long  project- 
ing timbei-s,  and  burned  out  without  doing  any  damage. 

Then  came  the  two  ships.  The  pilots  as  they  neared 
the  bridge  escaped  in  boats,  and  the  current  carried  them 
down,  one  on  each  side  of  the  raft,  toward  the  solid  ends 
of  the  bridge.  The  Fortune  came  first,  but  grounded 
near  the  shore  without  touching  the  bridge.     Just  as  it 


BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  407 

did  so  the  slow  match  upon  deck  burned  out.  There 
was  a  faint  explosion,  but  no  result ;  and  Sir  Ronald 
Yorke,  the  man  who  had  handed  over  Zutphen,  sprang 
on  board  with  a  party  of  volunteei-s,  extinguished  the 
fire  smoldering  on  deck,  and  thrusting  their  spears  down 
into  the  hold,  endeavored  to  ascertain  the  natrue  of  its 
contents.  Finding  it  impossible  to  do  so  they  returned 
to  the  bridge. 

The  Spaniards  were  now  shouting  with  laughter  at 
the  impotent  attempt  of  the  Antwerpers  to  destroy  the 
bridge,  and  were  watching  the  Hope,  which  was  now 
following  her  consort.  She  passed  just  clear  of  the  end 
of  the  raft,  and  struck  the  bridge  close  to  the  blockhouse 
at  the  commencement  of  the  floating  portion.  A  fire 
was  smoldering  on  her  deck,  and  a  party  of  soldiers  at 
once  sprang  on  board  to  extinguish  this,  as  their  comrades 
had  done  the  fire  on  board  the  Fortune.  The  Marquis 
of  Richebourg,  standing  on  the  bridge,  directed  the 
operations.  The  Prince  of  Parma  was  standing  close 
by,  when  an  officer  named  Vega,  moved  by  a  sudden 
impulse,  fell  on  his  knees  and  implored  him  to  leave  the 
place,  and  not  to  risk  a  life  so  precious  to  Spain.  Moved 
by  the  officer's  entreaties  Parma  turned  and  walked 
along  the  bridge.  He  had  just  reached  the  entrance  to 
the  fort  when  a  terrific  explosion  took  place. 

The  clock-work  of  the  Hope  had  succeeded  better  than 
the  slow  match  in  the  Fortune.  In  an  instant  she  disap- 
peared, and  with  her  the  blockhouse  against  which  she 
had  struck,  with  all  of  its  garrison,  a  large  portion  of  the 
bridge,  and  all  the  troops  stationed  upon  it.  The  ground 
was  shaken  as  if  by  an  earthquake,  houses  fell  miles  away, 
and  the  air  was  filled  with  a  rain  of  mighty  blocks  of 
stone,  some  of  which  were  afterward  found  a  league  away. 
A  thousand  soldiers  were  killed  in  an  instant,  the  rest 


408  BT  PIKS!  AND  DYKE. 

were  dashed  to  the  ground,  stunned  and  bewildered. 
Tlie  Marquis  of  Richebourg  and  most  of  Parma's  best 
officers  were  killed.  Parma  himself  lay  for  a  long  time 
as  if  dead,  but  presently  recovered  and  set  to  work  to 
do  what  he  could  to  repair  the  disater. 

The  Zeeland  fleet  were  lying  below,  only  waiting  for 
the  signal  to  move  up  to  destroy  the  rest  of  the  bridge 
and  carry  succor  to  the  city  ;  but  the  incompetent  and 
cowardly  Jacobzoon  rowed  hastily  away  after  the  explo- 
sion, and  the  rocket  that  should  have  summoned  the 
Zeelandera  was  never  sent  up.  Parma  moved  about 
among  his  troops,  restoring  order  and  confidence,  and  as 
the  night  went  on  and  no  assault  took  place  he  set  his  men 
to  work  to  collect  drifting  timbers  and  spars,  and  make 
a  hasty  and  temporary  restoration,  iu  appearance  at 
least,  of  the  ruined  portion  of  the  bridge. 

It  was  not  until  three  days  afterward  that  the  truth 
that  the  bridge  had  been  partially  destroyed,  and  that 
the  way  was  opened,  was  known  at  Antwerp.  But  by 
this  time  it  was  too  late.  The  Zeelanders  had  retired  ; 
the  Spaniards  had  recovered  their  confidence,  and  were 
hard  at  work  restoring  the  bridge.  From  time  to  time 
fresh  fire-ships  were  sent  down ;  but  Parma  had 
now  established  a  patrol  of  boats,  which  went  out  to 
meet  them  and  towed  them  to  shore  far  above  the 
bridge. 

In  the  weeks  that  followed  Parma's  army  dwindled 
away  from  sickness  brought  on  by  starvation,  anxiety, 
and  overwork;  while  the  people  of  Antwerp  were 
preparing  for  an  attack  upon  the  dyke  of  Kowenstyn. 

If  that  could  be  captured  and  broken,  Parma's  bridge 
would  be  rendered  useless,  as  the  Zeeland  fleet  could 
pass  up  over  the  submerged  country  with  aid. 

Parma  was  well  aware   of  die  supreme  importance  of 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKS.  409 

this  dyke.  He  had  fringed  both  its  margins  with  breast- 
works of  stakes,  and  had  strengthened  the  whole  body 
of  the  dyke  with  timber-work  and  piles.  Where  it 
touched  the  great  Scheldt  dyke  a  strong  fortress  called 
the  Holy  Cross  had  been  constructed  under  the  com- 
mand of  Mondragon,  and  at  the  further  end,  in  tlie 
neighborhood  of  Mansfeldt's  headquartera,  was  another 
fort  called  the  Stabroek,  which  commanded  and  raked 
the  whole  dyke. 

On  the  body  of  the  dyke  itself  were  three  strong  forts 
a  mile  apart,  called  St.  James,  St.  George,  and  the  Fort 
of  the  Pallisades.  Several  attacks  had  been  made  from 
time  to  time,  both  upon  the  bridge  and  dyke,  and  at 
daybreak  on  the  7th  of  May  a  fleet  from  Lillo,  under 
Hohenlohe,  landed  five  hundred  Zeelanders  upon  it  be- 
tween St.  George's  and  Fort  Palisade.  But  the  fleet 
that  was  to  have  come  out  from  Antwerp  to  his  assistance 
never  arrived ;  and  the  Zeelanders  were  overpowered 
by  the  fire  from  the  two  forts  and  the  attacks  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  retreated,  leaving  four  of  their  ships 
behind  them,  and  more  than  a  fourth  of  their  force. 

Upon  the  26th  of  the  same  month  the  grand  attack, 
from  which  the  people  of  Antwerp  hoped  so  much,  took 
place.  Two  hundred  vessels  were  ready.  A  portion  of 
these  were  to  come  up  from  Zeeland,  under  Hohenlohe  ; 
the  rest  to  advance  from  Antwerp,  under  Sainte  Alde- 
gonde.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  Spanish 
sentinels  saw  four  fire-ships  approaching  the  dyke. 
They  mustered  reluctantly,  fearing  a  repetition  of  the 
previous  explosion,  and  retired  to  the  fort.  When  the 
fire-ships  reached  the  stakes  protecting  the  dyke,  they 
burned  and  exploded,  but  without  effecting  much 
damage.  But  in  the  meantime  a  swarm  of  vessels  of 
various  sizes  were  seen  approaching.     It  was  the  fleet  of 


410  BY  PIKE  AND  DYIOS, 

Hohenlohe,  which  had  been  sailing  and  rowing  from 
ten  o'clock  on  the  previous  night. 

Guided  by  the  light  of  the  fire-ships  they  approached 
the  dyke,  and  the  Zeelandei-s  sprang  ashore  and  climbed 
up.  They  were  met  by  several  hundred  Spanish  troops, 
who,  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  fire-ships  burnt  out  harm- 
lessly, sallied  out  from  their  forts.  The  Zeelanders 
were  beginning  to  give  way  when  the  Antwerp  fleet 
came  up  on  the  other  side,  headed  by  Sainte  Aldegonde. 
The  new  arrivals  sprang  from  their  boats  and  climbed 
the  dyke.  The  Spaniards  were  driven  off,  and  three 
thousand  men  occupied  all  the  space  between  Fort 
George  and  the  Palisade  Fort. 

With  Sainte  Aldegonde  came  all  the  English  and 
Scotch  troops  in  Antwerp  under  Balfour  and  Morgan, 
and  many  volunteers,  among  whom  was  Ned  Martin. 
With  Hohenlohe  came  Prince  Maurice,  William  the 
Silent's  son,  a  lad  of  eighteen.  With  woolsacks,  sand- 
bags, planks,  and  other  materials  the  patriots  now  rapidly 
entrenched  the  position  they  had  gained,  while  a  large 
body  of  sappers  and  minera  set  to  work  with  picks,  mat- 
tocks, and  shovels,  tearing  down  the  dyke.  The  Span- 
iards poured  out  from  the  forts  ;  but  Antwerpers,  Dutch- 
men, Zeelanders,  Scotchmen,  and  Englishmen  met  them 
bravely,  and  a  tremendous  conflict  went  on  at  each  end 
of  the  narrow  causeway. 

Both  parties  fought  with  the  greatest  obstinacy,  and 
for  an  hour  there  was  no  advantage  on  either  side.  At 
last  the  patriots  were  victorious,  drove  the  Spaniards 
back  into  their  two  forts,  and  following  up  their  success 
attacked  the  Palisade  Foit.  Its  outworks  were  in 
their  hands  when  a  tremendous  cheer  was  heard.  The 
sappers  and  miners  had  done  their  work.  Salt  water 
poured  through  the  broken  dyke,  and  a  Zeelaud  barge, 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  411 

freighted  with  provisions,  floated  triumphantly  into  the 
water  beyond,  now  no  longer  an  island  sea.  Then  when 
the  triumph  seemed  achieved  another  fatal  mistake  was 
made  by  tVie  patriots.  Sainte  Aldegonde  and  Hohen- 
lohe,  the  two  commanders  of  the  enterprise,  both  leaped 
on  board,  anxious  to  be  the  first  to  carry  the  news  of 
the  victory  to  Antwerp,  where  they  arrived  in  triumph, 
and  set  all  the  bells  ringing  and  bonfires  blazing. 

For  three  hours  the  party  on  the  dyke  remained  un- 
molested. Parma  was  at  his  camp  four  leagues  away, 
and  in  ignorance  of  what  had  been  done,  and  Mansfeldt 
could  send  no  word  across  to  him.  The  latter  held  a 
council  of  war,  but  it  seemed  that  nothing  could  be  done. 
Three  thousand  men  were  entrenched  on  the  narrow 
dyke,  covered  by  the  guns  of  a  hundred  and  sixty  Zee- 
land  ships.  Some  of  the  officers  were  in  favor  of  wait- 
ing until  nightfall ;  but  at  last  the  advice  of  a  gallant 
officer,  Camillo  Capizucca,  colonel  of  the  Italian  Legion, 
carried  the  day  in  favor  of  an  immediate  assault,  and 
the  Italians  and  Spaniards  marched  together  from 
Fort  Stabroek  to  the  Palisade  Fort,  which  was  now  in 
extremity. 

They  came  up  in  time,  drove  back  the  assailants,  and 
were  preparing  to  advance  against  them  when  a  distant 
shout  from  the  otlier  end  of  the  dyke  told  that  Parma 
had  arrived  there.  Mondragon  moved  from  the  Holy 
Cross  to  Fort  George ;  and  from  that  fort  and  from  the 
Palisade  the  Spaniards  advanced  to  the  attack  of  the 
patriots'  position.  During  the  whole  war  no  more  des- 
perate encounter  took  place  than  that  upon  the  dyke, 
which  was  but  six  paces  wide.  The  fight  was  long  and 
furious.  Three  times  the  Spaniards  were  repulsed  with 
tremendous  loss ;  and  while  the  patriot  soldiers  fought, 
their  pioneers  still  carried  on  the  destruction  of  the  dyke. 


412  BY  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

A  fourth  assault  was  likewise  repulsed,  but  the  fifth 
was  more  successful.  The  Spaniards  believed  that  they 
were  led  by  a  dead  commander  who  had  fallen  some 
months  before,  and  this  superstitious  belief  inpired  them 
with  fresh  courage.  The  entrenchment  was  carried,  but 
its  defenders  fought  as  obstinately  as  before  on  the  dyke 
behind  it.  Just  at  this  moment  the  vessels  of  the  Zee- 
landers  began  to  draw  off.  Many  liad  been  sunk  or 
disabled  by  the  fire  that  the  forts  had  maintained  on 
them  ;  and  the  rest  found  the  water  sinking  fast,  for  the 
tide  was  now  ebbing. 

The  patriots,  believing  that  they  were  deserted  by  the 
fleet,  were  seized  with  a  sudden  panic ;  and,  leaving  the 
dyke,  tried  to  wade  or  swim  off  to  the  ships.  The  Span- 
iards with  shouts  of  victory  pursued  them.  The  English 
and  Scotch  were  the  last  to  abandon  the  position  they  had 
held  for  seven  hours,  and  most  of  them  were  put  to  the 
sword.  Two  thousand  in  all  were  slain  or  drowned,  the 
remainder  succeeded  in  reaching  the  ships  on  one  side 
or  other  of  the  dyke. 

Ned  Martin  had  fought  to  the  last.  He  was  standing 
side  by  side  with  Justinius  of  Nassau,  and  the  two  sprang 
together  into  a  clump  of  high  rushes,  tore  off  their  heavy 
armor  and  swam  out  to  one  of  the  Zeeland  ships,  which 
at  once  dropped  down  the  river  and  reached  the  sea. 
Ned's  mission  was  now  at  an  end,  and  he  at  once  re- 
turned to  England. 

The  failure  of  the  attempt  upon  the  Kowenstyn  dyke 
sealed  the  fate  of  Antwerp.  It  resisted  until  the  mid- 
dle of  June ;  when,  finding  hunger  staring  the  city  in 
the  face,  and  having  no  hope  whatever  of  relief,  Sainte 
Aldegonde  yielded  to  the  clamor  of  the  mob  and  opened 
negotiations. 

These  were  continued  for  nearly  two  months.     Parma 


BT  PIKE  AND  DYKE.  413 

was  unaware  that  the  town  was  reduced  to  such  an  ex- 
tremity, and  consented  to  give  honorable  terms.  The 
treaty  was  signed  on  the  17th  of  August.  There  was  to 
be  a  complete  amnesty  for  the  past.  Royalist  absentees 
were  to  be  reinstated  in  their  positions.  Monasteries 
and  churches  to  be  restored  to  their  former  possessors. 

Tlie  inhabitants  of  the  city  were  to  practice  the 
Catholic  religion  only,  while  those  who  refused  to  con- 
form were  allowed  two  yeara  for  the  purpose  of  winding 
up  their  affairs.  All  prisoners,  with  the  exception  of 
Teligny,  were  to  be  released.  Four  hundred  thousand 
florins  were  to  be  paid  by  the  city  as  a  fine,  and  the  gar- 
rison were  to  leave  the  town  with  arms  and  baggage,  and 
all  honors  of  war.  The  fall  of  Antwerp  brought  about 
with  it  the  entire  submission  of  Brabant  and  Flanders, 
and  henceforth  the  war  was  continued  solely  by  Zeeland, 
Holland,  and  Friesland. 

The  death  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  the  fall  of 
Antwerp,  marked  the  conclusion  of  what  may  be  called 
the  first  period  of  the  struggle  of  the  Netherlands  for 
freedom.  It  was  henceforth  to  enter  upon  another  phase. 
England,  which  had  long  assisted  Holland  privately 
with  money,  and  openly  by  the  raising  of  volunteers  for 
her  service,  was  now  about  to  enter  the  arena  boldly  and 
to  play  an  important  part  in  the  struggle,  which,  after  a 
long  period  of  obstinate  strife,  was  to  end  in  the  com- 
plete emancipation  of  the  Netherlands  from  the  yoke 
of  Spain. 

Sir  Edward  Martin  married  Gertrude  Von  Harp  soon 
after  his  return  to  England.  He  retained  the  favor  of 
Elizabeth  to  the  day  of  her  death,  and  there  were  few 
whose  counsels  had  more  influence  with  her.  He  long 
continued  in  the  public  service,  although  no  longer 
compelled  to  do  so  as  a  means  of  livelihood ;  for  as  Hoi' 


414  JBT  PIKE  AND  DYKE. 

land  and  Zeeland  freed  themselves  from  the  yoke  of 
Spain,  and  made  extraordinary  strides  in  wealth  and 
prosperity,  the  estates  of  the  countess  once  more  pro- 
duced a  splendid  revenue,  and  this  at  her  death  came 
entirely  to  her  daughter.  A  considerable  portion  of  Sir 
Edward  Martin's  life,  when  not  actually  engaged  upon 
public  affairs,  was  spent  upon  the  broad  estates  which  had 
come  to  him  from  his  wife. 


THE  END. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  698  023     9 


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